Share:
Alternatives and side effects Risks associated with drug therapy
Interactions, side effects and contraindications are often insufficiently considered when using medication. "The drug therapy safety (AMTS) is an issue that has been discussed for a long time, but still not sufficiently in the daily routine has arrived," warns the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) in a recent release.
Actually, according to TK, it should be self-evident to pay attention to side effects, interactions and contraindications in therapy. But at the Techniker Krankenkasse conference "Innovations for more safety", the experts came to the conclusion that this often does not work well in reality. At the meeting, "representatives of patients, doctors, pharmacists, scientists and joint self-government spoke up and discussed strategies to improve the situation," said the TK.
The more medicines patients take at the same time, the greater the risk of unwanted side effects and interactions. (Image: denisismagilov / fotolia.com) Selection of individually correct drugs
The issue of drug therapy safety has been discussed for many years and various good projects have been implemented in the past, reports TK's deputy CEO Thomas Ballast. In everyday practice, "but so far not enough has arrived" and this "is to the detriment of the patients," said Ballast on. When it comes to drug therapy, it is important "that the right patient receives the right medication for him and also knows about his therapy," says the expert. On the one hand this reduces the risk of unwanted, harmful effects and on the other hand increases the chances of success of the therapy.
Targeted use instead of watering can
According to Professor Josef Hecken, the impartial chairman of the Joint Federal Committee (G -BA). The deputy TC chairperson adds that the innovation fund offers good opportunities to "bring the issue forward and, above all, to the right patients." Here, not everyone over the age of 65 must be checked with more than three medicines. "A targeted use brings more than the watering can," Ballast continued.
Digital solutions with new options
According to the TK Deputy Chairman, improving the AMTS "promises to be an approach that will first develop a strategy to find the right patients for a medication analysis to promote AMTS." On the other hand, a blanket approach encourages physicians to use the AMTS Therapy of every second patient check, little and only make sure that doctors lose sight of the AMTS through "alarm fatigue" in everyday life. This is exactly the reason why the topic is not given enough attention in everyday practice today. With the support of digital solutions, however, "tailored communication measures can be implemented that alert the doctor only when it is particularly important," reports TK.
Observe the benefit assessment of the drugs
The Chairman of the Council of Experts for the Review of Development in Health Care, Professor med. Ferdinand M. Gerlach, concludes that in the future, the data of the health insurance companies could help "that the doctors targeted targeted those patients for which a special review of drug therapy is necessary." According to the experts, the results of the to include early benefit assessments of medicines in the guidelines to provide physicians with a broader choice of treatment choices. With new drugs that are no better than existing ones, it is often smarter to resort to those for which there is already extensive experience and studies.
Wide range of drug therapy safety
The field of AMTS is extremely broad. It also affects young people, such as young women in choosing the right anti-baby pill. AMTS begins "with the use of antibiotics in viral effects and goes to bold decisions to delay certain therapies or to dispense with the use of certain drugs," said the TK. Already today, TK provides different information offers tailored to the target group. For example, TK has been offering a list of prescribed medicines for more than ten years with the "Insured Information on Medicines" (TK-ViA), similar to the medication plan as it will be introduced in autumn 2016 at the earliest. In addition, the "Medication Check-up 60+" offers the opportunity to identify those patients who are receiving multiple medicines and are at an increased risk for unwanted changes and side effects. The TK-ArzneimittelCoaches also offer telephone consultations to people with type 2 diabetes and rheumatism. A service that is also to be extended to patients with CHD (coronary heart disease) in the future. (Fp)