Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
July 16, 2009, China Times
By Zhang Cuifen / Taipei Report
Elderly individuals often suffer from multiple diseases, requiring them to visit different hospitals and departments for consultations and medications. On the 15th, the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation criticized the ineffective medication logging and verification functions of the National Health Insurance (NHI) IC card. From 2006 to 2008, the cost of duplicated prescriptions for "three high" conditions (hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia) reached NT$2.7 billion. Beyond resource wastage, the harm caused by duplicate prescriptions is incalculable.
Liu Meijun, Executive Director of the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation, pointed out that Taiwanese seniors aged 65 and above suffer from an average of 1.4 chronic diseases each. Among those aged 60 to 89, 40% take two or more medications daily, while 20% take five or more. Some even consume over 40 pills a day. It is estimated that the medication risks for the elderly are two to seven times higher than for the general population.
Analysis of NHI data by the foundation revealed that from 2006 to 2008, duplicated prescriptions for "three high" medications across different hospitals accumulated a waste of NT$2.7 billion. Hypertension medications had the highest duplication rate, at approximately 3.9% to 4.3%. Duplicate prescriptions not only waste medication and money but also increase the risk of fatal adverse drug reactions.
Liu Meijun believes that the current healthcare system inadequately addresses the medication needs of the elderly and lacks oversight mechanisms. The NHI IC card should resolve duplicate prescription issues, but there are no explicit regulations requiring healthcare providers to log and verify prescriptions consistently, nor are there penalties for non-compliance, rendering its oversight function ineffective.
Cai Shuling, Manager of the Medical Affairs Department at the Bureau of National Health Insurance, acknowledged the existence of duplicate prescriptions but stated the proportion is not high. She also questioned the source of the foundation's data. For safety reasons, chronic disease patients are allowed to maintain a medication reserve, and a certain degree of prescription overlap is tolerable to prevent running out of medication.
Cai Shuling noted that the NHI card currently records the last six outpatient medication records. However, doctors often skip checking previous prescriptions due to the perceived slow card-reading process. Simply taking a few seconds to review the card during consultations could significantly reduce the risk of duplicate prescriptions.
Source: http:/ / life. chinatimes. com/ 2……0302+112009071600484,00. html
Health Reform Group Criticizes Poor IC Card Medication Logging, Duplicate Prescriptions Hit 2.7 Billion
By Zhang Cuifen / Taipei Report
Elderly individuals often suffer from multiple diseases, requiring them to visit different hospitals and departments for consultations and medications. On the 15th, the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation criticized the ineffective medication logging and verification functions of the National Health Insurance (NHI) IC card. From 2006 to 2008, the cost of duplicated prescriptions for "three high" conditions (hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia) reached NT$2.7 billion. Beyond resource wastage, the harm caused by duplicate prescriptions is incalculable.
Liu Meijun, Executive Director of the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation, pointed out that Taiwanese seniors aged 65 and above suffer from an average of 1.4 chronic diseases each. Among those aged 60 to 89, 40% take two or more medications daily, while 20% take five or more. Some even consume over 40 pills a day. It is estimated that the medication risks for the elderly are two to seven times higher than for the general population.
Analysis of NHI data by the foundation revealed that from 2006 to 2008, duplicated prescriptions for "three high" medications across different hospitals accumulated a waste of NT$2.7 billion. Hypertension medications had the highest duplication rate, at approximately 3.9% to 4.3%. Duplicate prescriptions not only waste medication and money but also increase the risk of fatal adverse drug reactions.
Liu Meijun believes that the current healthcare system inadequately addresses the medication needs of the elderly and lacks oversight mechanisms. The NHI IC card should resolve duplicate prescription issues, but there are no explicit regulations requiring healthcare providers to log and verify prescriptions consistently, nor are there penalties for non-compliance, rendering its oversight function ineffective.
Cai Shuling, Manager of the Medical Affairs Department at the Bureau of National Health Insurance, acknowledged the existence of duplicate prescriptions but stated the proportion is not high. She also questioned the source of the foundation's data. For safety reasons, chronic disease patients are allowed to maintain a medication reserve, and a certain degree of prescription overlap is tolerable to prevent running out of medication.
Cai Shuling noted that the NHI card currently records the last six outpatient medication records. However, doctors often skip checking previous prescriptions due to the perceived slow card-reading process. Simply taking a few seconds to review the card during consultations could significantly reduce the risk of duplicate prescriptions.
Source: http:/ / life. chinatimes. com/ 2……0302+112009071600484,00. html