Many medicines are used in Belgium. The use of several medicines together sometimes does not benefit the effect. To guide those patients towards optimal use, they can go to their pharmacist from today to look at this together.
Based on an analysis of the medicines and a conversation with the patient, the pharmacist will be able to propose an action plan to the treating physician and the patient. It may be possible to reduce the number of medicines or to replace certain medicines so that the medicines used work better or fewer side effects occur.
Vandenbroucke is making 2.91 million euros available to reimburse pharmacists for this new service. They receive 95 euros per action plan drawn up, the patient does not have to pay anything. Pharmacists have previously been called in to assist people in phasing out their use of sleeping pills.
Vandenbroucke therefore also relies on the pharmacists for this new service. “As a pharmaceutical expert par excellence, the pharmacist can restore order to the pill box. Dealing with medicines rationally and ensuring that they continue to have the desired effect is important for people’s health,” says the minister. “Today, people often ask their pharmacist for advice. We must use that relationship of trust, between patient and pharmacist, but also between pharmacist and treating doctor, so that we can deal with medicines more effectively.”