Cheaper Meds at the Pharmacy – Blame Laziness?
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When doctors prescribe a medicine, they sometimes do it by mentioning the active ingredient. However, sometimes they also mention a specific brand name, for ‘medically necessary reasons’.
It may be the case that someone benefits from the more expensive branded medicine.
The Volkskrant published today the results of a survey by the Patientsfederation.
Out of a total of 3000 panelists, 28 percent had difficulty obtaining the prescribed branded medicine.
Savings agreements lead to choice of cheaper alternatives
According to the pharmacists themselves, this may be because they have made savings agreements with health insurers. It could also be that the pharmacist disagrees with the ‘medical necessity’ indicated by the doctor.
Thus, out of necessity or choice, pharmacists opt for cheaper medicines whose patents have expired, as reported by the Volkskrant.
Medical Necessity
If there is ‘medical necessity’, this should never happen. According to the doctor, the patient benefits from the more expensive medicine.
“People are lazy”
According to pharmacist Aris Prins, he rejects almost 90 percent of these requests.
“Of course, there are people who benefit from a specific branded medication. But that is really a minority. ‘Medical necessity’ is the most devalued term ever,” Prins said in the Volkskrant.
‘Cheap stuff from the Action’
The pharmacists argue that fulfilling ‘medical necessity’ requests could cost them up to 40,000 euros per year.
Marcel Bouvy, pharmacist and professor of Pharmaceutical Patient Care in Utrecht, finds it an unpleasant situation.
“It causes a lot of hassle at the counter. People think that with a cheaper medication, they are getting the cheap stuff from the Action store, while every medication is very strictly controlled,” said Bouvy in the Volkskrant.
He therefore argues for an exception for psychosocial necessity: “If a patient has an anxiety attack at the mere thought of a new medication, you should accept a more expensive medication. The insurer will then have to be less rigid with the guidelines.”
What do you think about this? Do the pharmacists have a point or is this blatant profiteering at the expense of patients? Let us know in the comments and SHARE!
