Extemporaneous formulations in Germany – relevance for everyday clinical practice

Background Extemporaneous formulations broaden the spectrum of therapeutic options for topical treatment in particular and thus improve patient care. The latest amendment to the Regulation on the Operation of Pharmacies issued in 2012 brought about changes in prescribing and manufacturing practices. The aim of the present study was to assess the relevance of extemporaneous formulations in everyday clinical practice. Methods We used data from the German Institute for Drug Use Evaluation (DAPI) to analyze the prescribing practice for compounded preparations in Germany between the fourth quarter of 2011 and the third quarter of 2014. In doing so, we determined the total cost associated with ex…

Dermatologische Rezepturen in Deutschland - Relevanz für die Versorgung.

Compounded preparations in dermatology – analysis of prescribing habits in everyday clinical practice in Germany

Background Compounded preparations (CPs) are an indispensable addition to approved, commercially available drugs (CADs), especially for topical therapy. In Germany, about eight million CPs are prescribed within the statutory health insurance system each year, 50 % thereof by dermatologists. Methods We analyzed prescribing habits based on a questionnaire sent out to 186 office-based dermatologists and 1,491 pharmacies in the federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. The goal was to improve patient care by collecting and categorizing data in terms of prescription practice and associated challenges in interdisciplinary cooperation. Results Overall, 351 pharmacists (23.5 %) and 53 de…