AOK study Pills mix with risky effects

AOK study shows dangerous drug mix in numerous patients

28/01/2013

According to a recent study by the Scientific Institute of the AOK (WIdO), many patients regularly take a mix of tablets and other medicines that pose serious health problems due to drug-drug interactions. As the „Rheinische Post“ In their Monday issue, referring to the AOK Scientific Institute's study, every sixth drug prescription carries the risk of dangerous interactions with another drug.

By taking the pills mix, patients unknowingly experience a significant health risk, according to the findings of the WIdO. "Elderly people with multiple illnesses - especially nursing home residents - are at greater risk. They would be prescribed in part dosages and combinations that fall under the offense of bodily harm, so the „Rheinische Post“. Three out of every thousand patients received a pill mix that could be fatal, and in 3.5 percent of the cases, combinations were prescribed „serious health“ May have consequences, reports the paper. Here, the experts of the WIdO also see the doctors in the duty, in order to avoid in the future health impairment of the patients by risky interactions of the prescribed drugs. Doctors should be better informed about what may also over-the-counter medications their patients still take to avoid unnecessary risks.

Prescription of risky drug combinations
As part of the current study, the scientific institute of the AOK had examined the drug regulations from the first quarter of 2012 of the 24 million AOK insured nationwide. In total, around 65 million prescribed packaging were taken into account in the investigation. In this way, the WIdO experts were able to identify a variety of risky drug combinations that are regularly prescribed for the insured. Now, in collaboration with the doctors, this serious health risk should be addressed. Because not infrequently, the pills mix cause a hospital admission instead of contributing to the recovery of patients.

Medication regulations with offenses of bodily injury
According to the head of the AOK Hamburg / Rhineland, Günter Wältermann, can „the problem of dangerous drug combinations“ only be solved by the health insurance companies and doctors together. Therefore, the AOK seeks discussion with the medical profession as soon as dangerous regulations are identified. However, especially in nursing home residents continue to need action. „There are some doses and combinations prescribed that fall under personal injury, "said Wältermann to the „Rheinische Post“. Already in July 2011, the Bavarian Academy of Clinical Pharmacy had carried out an investigation of the drug regulations. The researchers have documented 100 consecutive customer contacts in 96 Bavarian pharmacies. It was noted which preparations the customers take and which possible reactions occurred with individual drugs with other medicines, dietary supplements or food.

Taking contraindicated drugs particularly critical
In its study, the Bavarian Academy of Clinical Pharmacy came to the conclusion that every sixth pharmacy customer in Bavaria experienced interactions between its medications. For every eighth affected drugs of self-medication were involved. The most common cause of adverse drug reactions are antidepressants, blood pressure, mineral supplements and analgesics. „In an interaction, the drugs can mutually reinforce their effects or side effects, but also weaken“, explained Dr. Sonja Mayer, Managing Director of the Bavarian Academy of Clinical Pharmacy, the risks. Particularly critical is the parallel intake contraindicated agents, since in such cases the interactions for the „Patients be life threatening“ warned Dr. Mayer. But as the current study of the scientific institute of the AOK shows, little has changed in the past few years on the quite health-endangering prescription practice. (Fp)

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Picture credits: Eva-Maria Rossmann