Abstracts by keywords: drug safety
In the Federal Republic of Germany, the proportion of people over 65 years of age in the total population will increase from 20 % in 2008 to 34 % in 2060 (Federal Statistical Office 2009). Population aging is closely related to the increase in multimorbidity (Saß et al. 2010) and a numerical increase in care in inpatient long-term care facilities (Mennicken / Augurzky 2013). The influence of age on drug consumption is considered to be well documented. In 2011, every GKV insured person aged 65 and over was treated with an average of 3.8 daily doses per day (Coca / Schröder 2012). In 2010, 42 % of Germans over 65 years of age with drug therapy took five or more active ingredients - 5.5 million people are at risk due to polypharmacy (Thürmann et al. 2012). Nursing home residents take an average of 6 different preparations per day (Bartholomeyczik / Wilm 2010).
31.03.2015
Biopharmaceuticals are medicines whose active ingredients are obtained as part of a genetic engineering manufacturing process using DNA recombination methods. This manufacturing process is fundamentally different from the synthesis of the active ingredients of chemical drugs. While a chemical synthesis route can be copied identically, the production of drugs from genetically modified organisms is much more complex and results in the active ingredient remaining unique and can only be imitated by another manufacturer, but not reproduced identically. For this reason, copycat biopharmaceuticals are referred to as biosimilars and not as generics, as is the case with chemical medications. In the next few years, a number of biopharmaceuticals will lose their exclusivity, so new biosimilars are likely to complement the biosimilar market, which is currently limited to three drug groups. Even if this can result in cost savings for the payers, it is not possible to validly forecast market developments.
24.01.2013
Medicines are effective and efficient as a form of therapy in the outpatient and inpatient care of patients, provided they are used correctly. However, with increasing therapy options through new drug developments and the simultaneous use of several drugs (polypharmacy), the complexity of drug therapy increases. In particular, chronically ill and multimorbid patients are often treated with several different medications, which increases the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug-related harm. The risk of ADRs in these patients increases due to age-associated changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, in addition to potential drug interactions. Ensuring drug therapy safety (AMTS), especially for chronic patients, represents a particular challenge in drug supply.