Pharmaceuticals - Barmer warns against unnecessary and risky pain therapies
Barmer Schleswig-Holstein has warned against unnecessary and risky pain therapies. Patients are often prescribed painkillers that are unsuitable for them, the health insurance company Barmer found in its 2023 Drug Report. The report examined the drug-based pain therapy of outpatients insured with Barmer aged 18 and over without a tumor diagnosis.
In Schleswig-Holstein, one in three adults (31.1 percent) was prescribed at least one pain medication - around 689,000 people. It is worrying that, for example, around 1,700 insured persons were prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or diclofenac despite having heart failure. Even brief use of pain medication can significantly worsen the performance of the heart.
In addition, one in four people over the age of 65 take at least five or more medications. This is an estimated 166,000 people in the country. According to Barmer, taking several medications at the same time can lead to risky interactions.
Inadequate painkiller therapy can lead to increased hospital stays and an increased risk of death, the report continued. "The combination of supposedly harmless painkillers in particular can have fatal consequences," said Bernd Hillebrandt, Managing Director of Barmer Schleswig-Holstein.
He called for the consistent and mandatory use of digital aids in the provision of medicines, such as an electronic patient file. This would help to maintain an overview of a patient's overall medication and all side effects and interactions of the medication.
However, each individual can also determine whether he or she is self-administering painkillers too often. According to Hartmut Göbel, Head Physician at the Kiel Pain Clinic, the 10-20 rule helps here. "You stay in the green zone if you take painkillers for less than ten days a month and nothing for the other 20 days."
If you prescribe yourself medication eight or nine days a month, you should contact a doctor. Because the more painkillers you take, the more sensitive your body becomes, emphasized Göbel.
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- Despite having heart failure, over 1,700 insured individuals in Schleswig-Holstein were prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or diclofenac, according to the Barmer Drug Report.
- The use of more than five medications simultaneously can lead to risky interactions, affecting an estimated 166,000 people aged 65 and above in Schleswig-Holstein, as mentioned in the Barmer Health Report.
- To avoid taking painkillers excessively, Hartmut Göbel, Head Physician at the Kiel Pain Clinic, suggests following the 10-20 rule: limiting painkiller consumption to less than ten days per month and abstaining for the remaining 20 days.
- The improper use of painkillers can result in prolonged hospital stays and an increased risk of mortality, which the Barmer Drug Report addresses as a significant concern in pain therapy.
- To ensure patients are safely administered medications, Barmer Schleswig-Holstein advocates for the mandatory use of digital aids such as an electronic patient file, allowing healthcare providers to monitor a patient's medication, side effects, and potential interactions.
Source: www.stern.de
