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Many insured persons are now entitled to a medication plan
Since the beginning of October, all statutory health insureds who permanently have to take three or more medicines are entitled to a medication plan. According to Federal Minister of Health Gröhe, this causes more "therapy safety".
Protect patients from medication errors
Health experts have been calling for years to better protect patients from medication errors. Common medication errors include interactions between drugs. In this country, a very large part of the population relies on taking several medications. For example, a survey commissioned by the Federal Association of German Pharmacist Associations (ABDA) showed that around one in four people in Germany take several pills a day at the same time. Now all insured persons who have to take three or more medicines are entitled to a medication plan.
Since the beginning of October, every legally insured person who has to take three or more medicines is entitled to a medication plan. This contains precise dosage and intake instructions and thus contributes to the therapy safety. (Image: Gina Sanders / fotolia.com) Claim for medication plan
According to a press release from the Federal Ministry of Health, "legally insured patients who also use at least three prescribed medicines at the same time", as of 1 October 2016 "have a claim to the preparation and delivery of a medication plan in paper form by their doctor."
Especially for seniors this should be helpful to keep track of medications taken. "With the medication plan, we ensure more therapeutic safety when taking medicines. This is a great help especially for older, chronically and multiply ill people, "said Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe.
Thousands of deaths from drug-based cocktails
How important this is is also shown by data from North Rhine-Westphalia. There, about 4,300 deaths from drug cocktails were registered each year. According to the information, 1.5 million people in the West German state take at least five drugs every day. For seniors over 65 years it is almost every second.
The medication plan offers help here. "Patients can see at a glance when to take which medicine in which amount. And the doctor or pharmacist knows immediately which medicine the insured person is currently using. As a result, revenue errors or dangerous interactions can be avoided, "Gröhe said. "The medication plan is an important element in further improving the safe handling of medicines."
Dosage and administration notes
The plan documents all medicines that patients use with dosing and intake instructions. Doctors must inform the insured about their claim and issue a medication plan.
According to ministry information, the preparation and updating of the medication plan should be carried out by the doctor, who primarily cares for the patient and coordinates the medically necessary therapy and diagnostic measures. Usually these are the family doctors. Pharmacists are required to update the plan at the request of the patient if the medication changes.
Medication plan should be stored on health card in the future
From 2018, the medication plan should also be saved on the electronic health card in addition to the paper printout. The basis for the introduction of the federally standardized medication plan is the eHealth Act, which came into force at the end of last year. (Ad)