Health · Healthcare & Policy · 9 hrs ago
Turkey plans repeat medicine pickups without new prescriptions
Turkey is preparing a new system for repeat medicines for people with chronic conditions who have an official medicine report.
Under the plan, a doctor would issue the first prescription, and patients could then collect the same medicine from a pharmacy while their report remains valid, if their treatment has not changed.
Patients may no longer need a doctor visit for every refill, though accounts of the plan differ on whether medicine would be supplied monthly or every three months.
The conditions to be included are not yet confirmed, but blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and COPD are possible first groups.
The change could reduce repeat visits for patients and ease pressure on doctors, while pharmacies say they are equipped to provide the service.
The government aims to set out the rules by the end of the year; until then, current prescription requirements remain in place.
Turkey’s Health Ministry is preparing a system allowing patients with valid medicine reports to collect repeat medicines from pharmacies without getting a new prescription each time.
The change would apply while the prescribed treatment remains unchanged, and medicines would be supplied in monthly doses during the report period, according to Onedio.
The Ministry has not finalized which conditions or medicines would be covered.
The Turkish Pharmacists’ Association identified hypertension, diabetes, asthma and COPD as possible groups for an initial phase.
The system is not yet in force, and Onedio reported that it is planned for introduction by the end of 2026.
- Who
- Patients with valid medicine reports whose treatment has not changed.
- What
- They may be able to collect repeat medicines from pharmacies without a new prescription each time.
- When
- The system is being prepared; Onedio reported a target of implementation by the end of 2026.
- Where
- Pharmacies in Turkey.
- Why
- To remove the need for patients to revisit a doctor for repeat prescriptions when their treatment has not changed.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Medimagazin reported that Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said a new system was being developed for patients using medicines covered by reports.
Onedio reported that the system was being prepared and was planned to start by the end of the year.
- Initial treatment
- A doctor still writes the first prescription.
- Repeat supply
- Medicines would be dispensed in monthly doses during the report period, according to Onedio.
- Possible initial groups
- Hypertension, diabetes, asthma and COPD.
- Implementation status
- Not yet in force.
- Target date
- By the end of 2026, according to Onedio.
What people are saying
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