gms | German Medical Science

G-I-N Conference 2012

Guidelines International Network

22.08 - 25.08.2012, Berlin

Guidelines program for pharmaceutical care in the Netherlands

Meeting Abstract

  • B. Daemen - Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association, The Hague, The Netherlands
  • W. Meijer - Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association, The Hague, The Netherlands
  • N. Ten Cate - Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association, The Hague, The Netherlands
  • H. Buurma - SIR Institute, Leiden, The Netherlands

Guidelines International Network. G-I-N Conference 2012. Berlin, 22.-25.08.2012. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2012. DocP106

doi: 10.3205/12gin218, urn:nbn:de:0183-12gin2189

Published: July 10, 2012

© 2012 Daemen et al.
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Outline

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Background: Dutch pharmacists are developing evidence based guidelines. Important external developments have urged them to do so. Community pharmacists are now legally recognised as independent practitioners and healthcare providers. Pharmaceutical care is increasingly regarded as an integral part of managed care programs in primary care settings. On the other hand, pharmaceutical care services have become subject to free market remuneration, which makes it necessary for pharmacists to make their efforts transparent.

Context: Evidence based guidelines on pharmacy services are nonexistent. Therefore, Dutch community pharmacists needed to establish a brand new programme including guidelines for chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, COPD) as well as guidelines for general pharmaceutical services (e.g. patient education, medication review, individualised dispensing, patient record keeping).

Description: A procedure has been followed including: literature searches, panel discussion groups with pharmacists, implementation scanning, external reviewing by experts mostly from other disciplines and formal authorisation. So far, 17 guidelines are being developed. For every guideline gaps in evidence have been identified and pharmaceutical practice research is needed. It takes the professional staff approximately 12 months to write a guideline. The process of reviewing and authorisation takes another 6 months.

Lessons for guideline developers:Due to these guidelines pharmaceutical care services are gradually included in Dutch multidisciplinary care standards. Also, healthcare insurers begin to include new pharmaceutical care services, such as the medication review, in their contracts with community pharmacists. Developing guidelines contributes to anchor the community pharmacist's role as healthcare provider within the (primary) care setting.