Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
Taiwan Shin Sheng Daily News [Reporter Zhong Pei Fang / Taipei Report] September 6, 2012
According to statistics from the Bureau of National Health Insurance, the average number of medical visits per person in Taiwan was 14.6 times in 2010 and 15.1 times in 2011. Among Taiwanese aged 65 and above, each senior on average suffers from 1.4 chronic diseases, with seniors accounting for as much as 38% of national health insurance drug expenses. Lian Ruimeng, Chairman of the Taiwan Healthcare Quality Promotion Alliance, stated yesterday (5th) that according to survey analysis by the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation, among every five elderly individuals, three have hypertension, one has hyperlipidemia, and one has diabetes. From 2006 to 2008, the duplicated medication costs for these "three highs" (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes) reached NT$2.7 billion, exposing seniors to the high risk of drug overdose.
A survey conducted by the Republic of China Pharmaceutical Quality Reform Association in January 2009 on 20 domestic medical centers showed that a single pharmacist could serve up to 450 patients in one day. Even if the pharmacist worked a full eight-hour day without eating, drinking, or resting, the service time allocated to each patient would only be about one minute. Without increasing pharmaceutical service fee reimbursements, hospitals simply lack the capacity to hire more pharmaceutical staff to improve service quality. In the U.S. in 1994, outpatient physician-prescribed drug expenses totaled approximately $73 billion, but the medical costs required to address injuries or deaths caused by prescription drug therapy issues amounted to $76.6 billion. Hence, "drug therapy problems" are referred to as an "invisible disease." Compared to the U.S. system, Taiwan likely suffers even greater losses, making drug safety and quality control increasingly critical.
Taiwan ranks fourth globally in the incidence and prevalence of dialysis. The impact of improper medication habits on dialysis includes: first, some drugs are inherently nephrotoxic, directly causing kidney damage; second, chronic disease patients may take drugs, herbs, or preparations claiming to treat their conditions without proper medical guidance, leading to poor disease control and accelerating kidney damage caused by diabetes or hypertension. Therefore, it is essential to address improper medication practices and ensure medication safety.
Chairman Lian suggested that the public can choose the clinic nearest or most convenient to their home, with a single physician overseeing the health of the entire family and their medical history. When necessary, the physician can refer patients based on their condition. By having doctors and pharmacists collaborate professionally and with dedicated roles, the likelihood of human error can be reduced, collectively safeguarding medication safety.
Additionally, expanding home pharmaceutical care services, where trained pharmacists provide medication care, can ensure that patients' drug use meets the goals of appropriate indications, effectiveness, safety, and compliance. This assists physicians in achieving disease control targets, enhances medication safety, and indirectly reduces the waste of medical resources.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E4……% 87% 8F- 160645206. html? _esi=1
Elderly Overdose on Duplicate High Blood Pressure Meds
According to statistics from the Bureau of National Health Insurance, the average number of medical visits per person in Taiwan was 14.6 times in 2010 and 15.1 times in 2011. Among Taiwanese aged 65 and above, each senior on average suffers from 1.4 chronic diseases, with seniors accounting for as much as 38% of national health insurance drug expenses. Lian Ruimeng, Chairman of the Taiwan Healthcare Quality Promotion Alliance, stated yesterday (5th) that according to survey analysis by the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation, among every five elderly individuals, three have hypertension, one has hyperlipidemia, and one has diabetes. From 2006 to 2008, the duplicated medication costs for these "three highs" (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes) reached NT$2.7 billion, exposing seniors to the high risk of drug overdose.
A survey conducted by the Republic of China Pharmaceutical Quality Reform Association in January 2009 on 20 domestic medical centers showed that a single pharmacist could serve up to 450 patients in one day. Even if the pharmacist worked a full eight-hour day without eating, drinking, or resting, the service time allocated to each patient would only be about one minute. Without increasing pharmaceutical service fee reimbursements, hospitals simply lack the capacity to hire more pharmaceutical staff to improve service quality. In the U.S. in 1994, outpatient physician-prescribed drug expenses totaled approximately $73 billion, but the medical costs required to address injuries or deaths caused by prescription drug therapy issues amounted to $76.6 billion. Hence, "drug therapy problems" are referred to as an "invisible disease." Compared to the U.S. system, Taiwan likely suffers even greater losses, making drug safety and quality control increasingly critical.
Taiwan ranks fourth globally in the incidence and prevalence of dialysis. The impact of improper medication habits on dialysis includes: first, some drugs are inherently nephrotoxic, directly causing kidney damage; second, chronic disease patients may take drugs, herbs, or preparations claiming to treat their conditions without proper medical guidance, leading to poor disease control and accelerating kidney damage caused by diabetes or hypertension. Therefore, it is essential to address improper medication practices and ensure medication safety.
Chairman Lian suggested that the public can choose the clinic nearest or most convenient to their home, with a single physician overseeing the health of the entire family and their medical history. When necessary, the physician can refer patients based on their condition. By having doctors and pharmacists collaborate professionally and with dedicated roles, the likelihood of human error can be reduced, collectively safeguarding medication safety.
Additionally, expanding home pharmaceutical care services, where trained pharmacists provide medication care, can ensure that patients' drug use meets the goals of appropriate indications, effectiveness, safety, and compliance. This assists physicians in achieving disease control targets, enhances medication safety, and indirectly reduces the waste of medical resources.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E4……% 87% 8F- 160645206. html? _esi=1