Public pharmacies Croatia monitor chronic patients’ treatment outcomes; transparently assess medicines’ effectiveness and value
Monitoring the treatment outcomes of non-hospital chronic patients in public pharmacies - Reforms and Investments
This project introduced a system in public pharmacies to monitor treatment outcomes of chronic patients by creating structured data that will be made available through Central Health Information System of the Republic of Croatia (CEZIH). This would enable the health authorities to transparently assess the effectiveness and value of medicines and would create valuable pharmacoepidemiological data to support more systematic planning, monitoring, and evaluation of investments in pharmacotherapy. Before, treatment outcomes for chronic outpatients were rarely tracked, despite high levels of non-adherence among patients. Many prescribed medicines were not taken correctly, contributing to significant pharmaceutical waste and reduced treatment effectiveness. Under the proposed system, pharmacists will record key clinical and pharmacoeconomic data when dispensing medicines, including adherence, side effects, medication errors, and achievement of treatment goals. These data will be securely transferred to a central information system accessible to prescribers and insurers, enabling better coordination between primary and secondary care and more informed decisions about healthcare spending and patient treatment strategies.
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