Medications companies are launching a program to fight against the medical iatrogenesis of elderly people. At this occasion, these companies have gathered several health actors (doctors, pharmacists…) in order to improve medication intake methods.
What is medical iatrogenesis?
Medications are essential for health…but caution is in order. Their use in certain cases (wrong dosage, multiple treatments) can have negative effects on our health and cause disorders: this is called “medical iatrogenesis”. This medical term appoints the consequences on health of a medicine misuse.
Act together for a good medications use: the program’s basics
The elderly population often suffers from long term diseases and has to take several medications daily.
Pharmaceutical companies are worried about strengthening their commitment to promote medication intake. In partnership with healthcare professionals and social welfare actors, they decided to throw a campaign to fight against elderly people medical iatrogenesis.
The goal is to improve medication intakes for elder people, in order to reduce medical accident risks.
The program turned into practice
The program fights against medical iatrogenesis among the elderly: it counts on the cooperation of medicine chains (industry, doctors, pharmacists, social security actors, etc). The program has 4 main sections:
- A wide communication campaign for the general public and health professionals
- Measures to help medical prescriptions…
- … by imagining new softwares able to identify all type of drugs prescribed by all means and detect inappropriate prescriptions or even potentials interactions.
- A strong pharmaceutical advice…
- … by detecting negative interaction thanks to the Pharmaceutical File
- … by creating a device in order to heighten awareness among the pharmaceutical teams to the alert signs ( “memo Iatrogenesis”)
- A valuation system in order to control prescription habits, monitoring and drug consumption thanks to the result indicator.
Beside the fact that this project is willing to draw attention towards the risks of misuse or overdose, another objective is to raise awareness among the elderly. They must be part of this fight against medical iatrogenesis and actively participate to this debate along with health professionals.
The program is willing to be a long term project that will start at mid-May, 2015.
A focus on the fight program against bad medication intake by the elderly
The fight program against bad medication intakes by the elderly will be adapted to the general public through several communication channels:
- An advertisement “Medications exist to help you, but… they may be trouble when badly mixed”.
> Video “Elderly people words: my life with medication” (French)
Paroles de seniors : ma vie avec les médicaments par LeemFrance
- This announcement will be summed up as a visible poster in medical waiting rooms and in pharmacies.
- An 8-page notebook “Guide for good medications intake” will be placed into mainstream press titles commonly read by elderly and also put in waiting rooms at patients disposal. This guide brings educational and playful information about medical iatrogenesis in the form of messages of caution and alerts as well as games such as true/false “Quizzes” and testimonies from patients, doctors and pharmacists. As a bonus, an index sheet contains 10 pieces of advice for good medication intake.
Information tools dedicated to professionals
Healthcare professionals will also have information tools:
- An advertisement in professional press: “have the iatrogenesis reflex” to heighten awareness of healthcare professionals on main warning of iatrogenesis trouble signs, such as faintness, dizziness, falls, appetite loss, memory disorders…
- A specifically dedicated website “reflexeiatrogenie.com”, on which healthcare professionals can find information about medical iatrogenesis as well as a Professional Development offer. Moreover, useful information about a medical prescription software as well as consumer campaign tools (poster, guide, quiz…) are copyright-free.
Published by the Editorial Staff on