Action plan to improve drug therapy safety in the cabinet

17.08.2016 11:54

On August 17, the Federal Cabinet discussed the “Action Plan to Improve Drug Therapy Safety in Germany” presented by Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe. The aim is to continue the measures to improve drug therapy safety in the years 2016-2019. The action plan includes 42 measures and was developed with the participation of the medical profession, the pharmacists, the German Hospital Association, the Patient Safety Action Alliance, the German Nursing Council and patient associations.

The action plan includes the following thematic priorities:

• Raise awareness among patients, doctors, pharmacists, nurses and the public
  avoidable risks of drug therapy

• Improving information about medicines, labeling of medicines

• Documentation of drug therapy and measurement of drug therapy safety

• Strategies to improve the safety of the drug therapy process

• Research in the field of drug therapy safety

• Organizing the implementation and updating of the action plan.

According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the three previous action plans on drug therapy safety have made important contributions to improvements in this area since 2008; The introduction of a nationwide medication plan is one of the most important results. The E-Health Act, which came into force at the end of 2015, stipulated that from October 2016 all insured persons who use at least three prescribed medications are entitled to have a medication plan issued in paper form by a doctor. From 2018, the medication plan will also be available electronically from the health card.

The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) is providing almost 3 million euros between 2016 and 2019 for the implementation of individual measures in the action plan - such as the creation of a database for the dosage of medicines for children or the development of a medication plan app for the visually impaired Disposal. Further measures will be borne by the other parties involved.

The BMG points out that the “International Day for Patient Safety” on September 17, 2016, sponsored by the ministry, is primarily dedicated to the topic of drug therapy safety.