Agreement on drug therapy safety

Electronic health card: drug therapy safety

09/12/2014

Not only the introduction of the new electronic health card (eGK) has been delayed for a long time, but also the voluntary application „Safe drug treatment“ (AMTS) was debated for years. Now those responsible have agreed. Patients can decide for themselves if they want to use the application.

Agreement on drug therapy safety
According to media reports, the top organizations of pharmacists, doctors, hospitals, dentists and health insurance companies have after almost two years of work on a substantive framework for voluntary application „Safe drug treatment“ (AMTS) on the electronic health card (eGK). As the Federal Association of German Pharmacists Associations (ABDA) announced that the agreement was the first „Milestone taken on the way to concrete patient benefit“. However, it is still a long way to the practical application of voluntary for all patients AMTS function.

Participation is voluntary for insured persons
„AMTS data management provides physicians and pharmacists with more and more accurate guidance on how to select and deliver the most appropriate drug“, said DAV board member Dr. Hans-Peter Hubmann. „Important information for testing drug interactions as well as patient-specific parameters such as: Allergies may be available to all pharmacists in the future and support the particular use of the drug.“ The expert further explained: „The data remain at the fullest extent of the individual patient at all times. By entering his PIN, he decides himself who can save and view data. Participation is voluntary for the insured and can be revoked at any time.“ In principle, the security of patients should be improved by a secure exchange of data between physicians, clinics and pharmacists.

Years of delays in the introduction of the eGK
The introduction of the new electronic health card has been delayed for years. Already in 2003, the red-green federal government under Gerhard Schröder decided to modernize the statutory health insurance and thus the end of the old insurance card. But the first eGKs were issued in 2011. Among other things, legal concerns delayed the introduction. Even last month, the court had to decide on the card again. For example, the Federal Social Court (BSG) in Kassel ruled that the eGK with its photo and data chip is legal under data protection law and does not violate the right to informational self-determination or data protection. (Ad)