The unemployed receive the most medication

Unemployed patients are prescribed the most medication

27.07.2011

Unemployed on average, significantly more drugs prescribed than working people, according to the latest health report of the Techniker health insurance. (TK). For 254 days in 2010, the unemployed were prescribed drugs, which they were by far ahead of all other occupational groups, the TK reported on Wednesday.

Among other things, the TK Health Report 2011 recorded the inability to work and medical prescription data as well as the data from the outpatient medical care of 3.51 million members of the Techniker Krankenkasse who are subject to social insurance contributions or registered as unemployed. For example, the TK noted that mental illness among young adults has increased significantly over the past year. In addition, the health report has demonstrated a drastic difference in the drug regulations for the unemployed and for working people.

The unemployed receive an average of 254 daily doses
For example, in 2010, the unemployed were prescribed medication for an average of 254 days of the year, while the most heavily burdened occupational group in the regulatory and security professions only received 197 daily doses. Overall, the labor force was prescribed an average of medicines for 182 days in 2010, according to the Health Report. The media and humanities researchers, who were least likely to prescribe medications with 154 prescribed daily doses, were clearly below this average. Although the differences in drug prescriptions in the various occupational groups are also striking, the most extreme deviation, according to the TK health report, can be observed in comparison to the unemployed.

Increased risk of illness for the unemployed
According to Gudrun Ahlers, who is responsible for health reporting at the TC, the significantly increased drug regulations among the unemployed are also a sign that unemployment may increase the risk of illness. According to Gudrun Ahlers, the health report data shows, „That health depends not only on the health burden of the workplace, but also on the health risks associated with unemployment, especially in mental health“. However, it is not clear from the data whether those affected are actually becoming increasingly ill as a result of unemployment, or whether the proportion of sick people among the unemployed is particularly high because they have difficulty finding a job because of their illness. Another striking feature of the figures in the TK health report is that not only the drug prescriptions among the unemployed were significantly higher than in other occupational groups, but that the unemployed in 2010 also had the most doctor contacts. Although the differences were less pronounced here overall, doctor's contacts also point to an increased disease risk for the unemployed. (Fp)

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Picture: Gerd Altmann