PGEU

The Role of Pharmacists in

Cross-border Healthcare

Giovanna Giacomuzzi, PGEU

 Content PGEU

The Directive

Recognition of Prescriptions

eHealth and Continuity of Care

Keeping the patient at the Centre

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 The European Patient PGEU
Is the health
professional  I am dealing
What  happens with appropriately
if things go qualified?
wrong?

  Will I have to break

What will I off the treatment
when I go home?
have to pay?

Who will I
have to pay?
 What if they
don’t have the
medicine back
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 The Directive PGEU
The emphasis on cooperation in
the Directive (e.g. European
A step in the right
Reference Networks, eHealth,
direction but still a
HTA) is a major step forward on
long way to go...
the road to a more European
approach to health issues and to
patients rights.

But there is a long way to

go, European health
systems remain fragmented,
and health inequality is a
major and growing concern.

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 The European Prescription PGEU

Different:

Medicine Names,
Medicines Prices,
Rates of Reimbursement,
Prescription Forms,
Prescribing Practices,
Dispensing Practices,
Availability of Some Medicines.

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 The European Prescription PGEU

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 Recognition of Prescriptions PGEU

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 The Directive PGEU

Why Cooperation Matters for Patients Rights and for Health?

 Health systems are entering a new phase of

growing demand and more limited resources
 the development of best practice and the
encouragement of innovation has never been more
important,

 Cooperation is crucial between Member states , but

also at the level of health professionals- as recognised
by the provisions of the Directive relating to E Health.

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 eHealth and Continuity of Care PGEU
Not just a cross
border issue!

Accessing Information contained in eHealth Record:

Reduction of costs,
Improve quality of care and patient safety,
Ensure continuity of care,
Improve communication and collaboration within the
healthcare team,
Promote-evidence based medicine, 
Record keeping and mobility,
Supporting development of pharmacy services.
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 The potential of eHealth RecordPGEU
Study involving 160 French Community Pharmacies that used
Dossier Pharmaceutique for 2 months:

577 adverse drug reactions were identified and reported including

482 drug interactions,
In 77% of the interaction cases the pharmacist provided
appropriate advice,
16% of the cases the prescriber was contacted, which lead to a
modification in the prescription in at least 1 of 10 interventions,
60 were interventions concerning an oral anticoagulant treatment.

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 Keeping the Patient at the Centre PGEU

 We must not loose sight of the patient –

processes such as HTA cooperation must make a
robust commitment to consulting with patients
and patient organisations,

 eHealth development must not be dominated by industrial

concerns – we need systems which ‘fit for purpose’ from the
patients’ point of view, and recognise patient autonomy and
the key role of consent,

 We are a long way from a European

health system, but the Directive is a big
step toward a Europeanised health system...

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 Technological development PGEU
that is both efficient and put
patient interests first! Online access to
registers of health
professionals!

Patient participation in
Reimbursement decisions!

Affordable
medicines!

Rising quality Rapid

adoption of
… standards across
Best
the board!
practice!

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 PGEU

THANK YOU
www.pgeu.eu
12/04/2011 Pharmacists & Cross-border Healthcare