Finland's pharma calls for better geriatric care

The representative body of the research-based drug industry in Finland, Pharma Industry Finland, has called for a sharper focus on overall therapy in the development of geriatric medicines. The group does not accept, however, that "the [European Union's] research regulation is the correct and sufficiently rapid initiative to solve the problems" caused by old age.

It is now time to pay attention to the use of medicines by the elderly and to the efficacy of their pharmacotherapies so that the patients would be using only the necessary and correctly dosed medicines. This would also promote the treatment adherence of the elderly patients and the cost-effectiveness of the therapies, says the PIF.

Training should also pay attention to the special characteristics of the aged, so that physicians and pharmacies would be aware of the differences and know the correct use of the existing medicines. To facilitate the research and the follow-up by those in charge of practical treatment, the introduction of the electronic patient records and e-prescriptions should be accelerated, it urges.