Doctors in private practice: Don't just ignore the interests of the population!

2023-07-23 09:11:36

“More home pharmacies means: more panel doctors. If politicians are serious about supplying the population, they will take our proposal seriously,” says ÖÄK Vice President Wutscher.

Vienna (OTS) – “Many of the previous reactions to the current study, according to which more home pharmacies bring more panel doctors, miss the point,” says Edgar Wutscher, Vice President of the Austrian Medical Association and Federal Curia Chairman for resident doctors. It is unfortunate that this approach is dismissed with protective claims and pretended motives instead of taking the concerns and problems of the rural population seriously. “No one seems to care if sick people have to travel miles to get their medication – a responsible health policy would care,” says Wutscher. “Furthermore, it is simply too simplistic for the Federal Minister to believe that higher earnings are at stake. We doctors stand up for the needs of patients, both in terms of medical care and social help and support.”

He recalled the recommendation of the Federal Competition Authority that, from a competitive point of view, especially in rural areas, it was incomprehensible why a patient with a diagnosed illness would have to travel several kilometers to the nearest public pharmacy for his necessary prescription drugs if public transport may not be available nationwide. “From a competitive perspective, it would therefore also be desirable in terms of patient choice if the rigid regulations regarding the four or six kilometers of road were liberalized in favor of medical pharmacies,” quotes Wutscher from the report.

“The smile on our faces will still freeze when more and more towns and villages can no longer find doctors and nobody wants to settle there anymore. The rural population will certainly have a great time if the local supply is no longer available,” comments Dietmar Bayer, Deputy Federal Curia Chairman. “We strongly advise against dismissing the interests and concerns of the rural population with a smile and vague promises for a primary care center three towns away.”

“When a young doctor is faced with the decision to take over a cash register position in a rural area, in a small community of 1000 people, then the topic of medicine chests can definitely play an important role. It can decide whether a young person is willing to take the economic risk or not,” says Bayer. At least as important is the optimal care of the patients. “There is hardly anything more unsatisfactory than a doctor when I can only issue a prescription to my sick patient when I visit them at home and wish them good luck in their search for the nearest pharmacy.” Bayer emphasizes that this motive can best be assessed by representing the interests of the medical profession: “The mayors, with whom we have also been in close contact in recent years and months, can also underline the importance of a house pharmacy – it can make the difference between a doctor settling in the community or moving to the neighboring community.”

Anyone who is worried that doctors would then dispense more medicines than necessary should be reminded that the Austrian health insurance system has an obligation to provide economic prescriptions, says Silvester Hutgrabner, head of the department for home pharmacies and medicine matters at the Austrian Medical Association. “All studies to date have found no difference in the prescribing behavior of general practitioners with and without a medicine cabinet.”

It is also of course true that medical pharmacies are affected by supply bottlenecks for medicines just as much as public pharmacies. “However, doctors with a medicine chest have the great advantage that they can immediately switch to other available preparations if necessary,” says Hutgrabner. In addition, country doctors who know their patients and their needs very well could procure medicines with foresight to a certain extent.

“The doctors in private practice and the population deserve to be taken seriously. Enter into a dialogue with us, we will fix the announced dates on this topic,” Wutscher finally appealed to Health Minister Johannes Rauch.