Safety of pharmacotherapy

Pharmacotherapy is an integral part of comprehensive care. At its best, pharmacotherapy can cure illnesses, slow the progression of illnesses, reduce the symptoms of illnesses and prevent illnesses. Safe pharmacotherapy comprises two different areas: pharmaceutical safety and medication safety. Pharmaceutical safety refers to the safety of medicinal products. Medication safety refers to the safety of pharmacotherapy.

Injuries may occur during care, which could mean the patient is eligible for compensation for a patient injury.

• Patient Insurance Act (Finlex) (in Finnish)
• Finnish Patient Insurance Centre

The safety of medicinal products and pharmaceutical injuries

The authorised pharmaceuticals sold in pharmacies in Finland have been carefully researches and their safety is constantly monitored. The purpose of the authorisation and quality systems for pharmaceutical services is to ensure the quality and the safety of medicinal products throughout the entire pharmaceutical services chain. Authorities have the opportunity to intervene in practices and processes that compromise the quality or safety of medicinal products or to terminate the manufacture of pharmaceuticals the quality of which do not meet with requirements.

Pharmaceuticals can cause adverse effects for their users. Common and well-known adverse effects are described on a pharmaceutical's package leaflet. Please contact healthcare provider or pharmacy if you encounter problems related to pharmacotherapy.

Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea maintains the Adverse Reaction Register. Doctors and pharmacies notify Fimea of any adverse reactions of pharmaceuticals that they observe. A patient should always report any adverse effects to their doctor, but the patient can also submit a report directly to Fimea.

• Reporting adverse reactions (to a professional) (Fimea)
• Adverse effects (Fimea)

The most serious adverse effects of pharmaceuticals are pharmaceutical injuries. A pharmaceutical injury refers to an illness or a disability that has likely resulted from the use of a pharmaceutical. Pharmaceutical companies can purchase a voluntary pharmaceutical injury insurance policy for their pharmaceutical preparations. This means that the patient can be paid compensation for an injury caused by a pharmaceutical. In practice, all the pharmaceuticals sold in Finland are covered by pharmaceutical injury insurance. Apply for compensation from the Finnish Mutual Insurance Company for Pharmaceutical Injury Indemnities. Pharmaceutical injury insurance supplements statutory insurance coverage. Pharmaceutical injury insurance only provides compensation for injuries to the patients that statutory insurances, for example health insurance, do not cover.

• Applying for compensation