You suddenly pay more for your medication on Saturday than on weekdays. Your medicines are out of stock. Or you will receive a hefty bill for the medication assessment that you have had at the pharmacy. How is that possible and what can you do yourself to avoid these obstacles at the pharmacy?
Do you notice in the evening or on the weekend that important medicines are on the way? Or do you urgently need a medicine due to illness? Then you can go to the nearest service pharmacy. Medicines are much more expensive there than at your own pharmacy.
Expensive service pharmacy
Service pharmacies are only open outside office hours, which means their personnel costs are higher. Health insurers and service pharmacies have therefore agreed that service pharmacies may charge a higher rate. This applies on weekdays after 5.30 pm, on weekends and on public holidays. You then pay 25 to 54 euros extra, according to research by the consumer program Kassa. The rates are higher, especially in sparsely populated areas – where service pharmacies process few prescriptions. If the medicine is included in the basic package, the health insurer will reimburse the bill. However: the amount will be deducted from your deductible.
Sometimes the care you receive is not insured. For example, for medicines that are not included in the basic package. Then you have to pay for the medicines and the associated pharmacy care yourself at the service pharmacy.
Tip: So try to avoid having to rely on the weekend pharmacy. Make sure you get new medicines on time, so that you don’t suddenly run out on the weekend or in the evening.
Medicines on
More and more often the pharmacy does not have some medicines in stock. How did that happen? Due to the preferential policy of many health insurers for cheaper medicines, medicines are becoming cheaper. As a result, drug manufacturers have to work more efficiently. They keep smaller stocks or cut production locations. If something goes wrong during production (for example because a raw material is temporarily unavailable), shortages quickly arise. It’s always about different drugs.
If a medicine is not available, the pharmacist will look for an alternative. Often the same medicine can be ordered from another manufacturer in the Netherlands. Sometimes pharmacists can have the medicine come from abroad or prepare it especially for a patient. You often have to pay extra costs yourself.
Tip: Do not wait too long to request repeat medication. It is best to hand in a repeat prescription at the pharmacy at least a week before the medicines are ‘finished’, so that you still have a supply.
Are you unsure about the right time to hand in your repeat prescription? Contact your pharmacy. Many pharmacies have a repeat service that you can take advantage of. Ask for it.
Medication Review
Are you 65 years or older and do you use more than five different medicines for a long time? Or do you experience problems with your medication, for example because of a reduced kidney function? Then you qualify for a ‘medication assessment’. This is a discussion about your medication use with your pharmacist or general practitioner. He will look at what he can adjust in your medicine use to reduce the complaints.
If you’re on a lot of medications and your kidneys aren’t working properly, you may experience unnecessary side effects. There is also a chance that you are taking medication when it is no longer necessary. Research shows that after a medication review, about 11 percent of the drugs can be safely stopped. The patient’s adherence to therapy also improves after such an assessment. In addition, approximately 16 percent fewer patients end up in hospital who would otherwise have been admitted due to incorrect use of medication.
The costs for a medication assessment are approximately 75 euros. A poll by the elderly organization ANBO shows that six out of ten elderly patients do not want to pay for the drug assessment (seven out of ten would like to receive such an assessment). Pharmacists also notice that; many patients refuse the call. However, the risk is then great that they walk around with unnecessary side effects or continue to take medication for too long.
Tip: If your compulsory deductible has been ‘used up’ in the course of the year (and you have not taken out an extra high deductible), you can have the medication assessment done free of charge.
Prepare well for the medication assessment. Tell us about your experiences with the medicines you use and which medicines you buy yourself without a prescription, for example painkillers, vitamin pills and nasal sprays. The medication assessment can also take place at the doctor’s office. The general practitioner consults the pharmacist; the costs remain the same.
Sources):
- Plus Magazine