Pediatricians criticize drug report

Pediatricians reject criticism of the drug report

06/13/2013

Following the publication of the current Pharmaceuticals Report 2013 by the Barmer GEK last Tuesday, the Professional Association of Paediatricians (bvkj) has come forward with fierce criticism. The reason: The evaluations of the health insurance had shown that German children and adolescents would increasingly prescribed psychotropic drugs, although according to the care researchers and author of the drug report Prof. Gerd Glaeske no medical need for it.

No indication that children are too many „Psycho pills“ to take
German children take too many „Psycho pills“ - This was the criticism of the Drug Report 2013, which was published on Tuesday by the Barmer GEK. But this statement do not want to let pediatricians sit on their own, but now reports the Association of Pediatricians (bvkj) to speak and rejects the statement of Barmer clear: So there would be, according to the bvkj-President Wolfram Hartmann „[...] no indication that paediatricians are increasingly prescribing psychotropic drugs in children and adolescents. On the contrary, if one differentiates the numbers of the pharmaceutical report of the Barmer GEK and regards in the context of the data for the medical care of children and young people, the regulations are even declining“, so the latest press release on the website of the association.

Numbers decline, especially in infants
According to Wolfram Hartmann, this situation would particularly affect toddlers up to the age of four, because on the one hand the already low number of prescriptions has been decreasing for years, on the other hand the pills would only be used in certain cases: „When these medications are prescribed in this age group, then essentially as an agent (e.g., diazepam) for interrupting seizures.“

Other doctors responsible for increasing prescription rates in older children
For the increasing prescription figures in older children and adolescents - especially in the 10- to 14-year-olds - the association, however, were primarily responsible for other groups of doctors, because pediatricians would „according to the existing guidelines at best so-called psychostimulants for the supportive treatment of ADHD“ decree, according to the bvkj, but also have it here „[...] there were no noticeable increases in the number of children and adolescents last year“, so the bvkj on.

More and more children and adolescents with mental disorders
The allegation of a "rapid, undifferentiated prescription of psychotropic drugs in children and adolescents" was clearly rejected by the association, because „Due to our long professional training, we are able to differentiate possible behavioral problems and to initiate corresponding therapies, which are in most cases not medicinal“, so the bvkj-President Wolfram Hartmann in his message. Nevertheless, the association would make public again and again for years, „that we see more and more children and adolescents with mental disorders (so-called new morbidities) in our practices and often do not find the social-pedagogical structures outside of the health system, in order to effectively help these children and their families“, so the president's objection. (No)

Picture: S. Hofschlaeger