Under a new measure announced on Thursday by Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit), pharmacists in Belgium will now be allowed to review the medication of care home residents aged over 85 who take at least five medicines.
The aim is to improve treatment plans and reduce the risk of drug interactions, incorrect dosages, and unnecessary prescriptions. Vandenbroucke said the more medicines a resident takes, the more complex their treatment becomes and the greater the risk of mistakes. Around 58,000 residents aged 85 or over in Belgian care homes currently take at least five types of medication.
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The medication review will be carried out in consultation with the resident’s GP or coordinating doctor, as well as nursing staff. Any decision to change a treatment plan will remain the responsibility of the doctor, following discussion with the patient or their representative.
The service will be offered first to residents with treatment-related complaints, those using psychotropic drugs, people with serious kidney problems, and those who have recently been in hospital.
An annual budget of about €775,000 has been set aside, allowing nearly 8,500 residents to benefit from the scheme. The review will be fully reimbursed for patients and may take place every two years, or more often if prescribed by a doctor. Pharmacists will receive about €82 for each review.
Vandenbroucke said many older people in care homes take a wide range of medicines every day, ofte detailed reviews carried out by pharmacists would help ensure that residents take only the medicines they genuinely need.
