Pharmacy savings
September 2, 2010
A PRESENTATION at the FIP
conference in Lisbon overnight
detailed savings worth “hundreds of
millions of Euros” due to patients
consulting community pharmacists
rather than going directly to doctors.
A study commissioned by the
Association of Finnish Pharmacists
(AFP) and carried out by consulting
firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers,
found that visits to pharmacists
avoided more than 6 million GP
appointments and 750,000 hospital
emergency room visits each year in
Finland - as well as reducing the
need for prescriptions by 2.6 million
and saving 120,000 hospital bednights
each year in Finland.
“These savings add up to a total
of €565 million per year, which can
be spent on other important
priorities in the national healthcare
system,” said Dr Erkki Kostainen
from the AFP in Helsinki.
He said most of the savings had
come from less visits to general
practitioners.
“In many cases a pharmacist’s
guidance in self-care and nonprescription
medication can be all
that is needed, and if it is not,
pharmacists are able to advise
when a visit to the doctor is
needed,” he added.
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