Infarmed approves renewable prescriptions advocated by FMUL and SPC
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Fotografia Professor Fausto Pinto
 

Infarmed approves renewable prescriptions advocated by FMUL and SPC - Renewable prescriptions can prevent cerebral vascular diseases

Infarmed approved the long-term prescription of direct oral anticoagulants to chronic patients with atrial fibrillation. This awareness campaign resulted from a letter sent to the Minister of Health and Assistant Secretary of State for Health, as well as to the President of the Portuguese Medicines Authority (INFARMED).

At the end of last year, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL), together with the Portuguese Society of Cardiology (SPC), issued a public statement, arguing that “direct oral anticoagulants (technically referred to as DOACs or NOACs) could be prescribed in a renewable prescription for patients with atrial fibrillation”.

It is precisely because patients with atrial fibrillation need to be chronically anticoagulated to prevent strokes, that the drugs DOACs/NOACs are indicated for them and state funded, thus guaranteeing multiple clinical advantages. However, to date, only the issuance of non-renewable prescriptions was allowed, the validity of which lasted only one month, jeopardizing adherence to the therapy in some patients.

It was based on scientifically reasoning that FMUL and SPC warned of the risk that these patients ran, if the prescription modalities were not changed. They stated that it was “necessary to free health professionals to do essential tasks, avoiding renewals of frequent and unnecessary prescribing”, something that could further enhance more collateral risks for these patients in this pandemic phase.

The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon could not be happier with the result of this action, which was led by Director Fausto J. Pinto and one of its Professors and Cardiologists, Daniel Caldeira.

The rationale for defending this position can be read in full here.