PHP20 - Prescription Drug Use Monitoring to Check for Appropriate Use of Medicines in Korea vs. Japan and Taiwan

Abstract

Prescription drug use monitoring to check for appropriate use of medicines is to ensure patients to receive appropriate medications for their clinical needs and to be safe from over/under-utilization of medications. This study aimed to compare the drug use monitoring policy between three Asian countries of Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Focusing on real-time drug use monitoring system and incentive/disincentive program for appropriate use of medicines, this study compared three Asian countries (Korea, Japan and Taiwan) based on a review of the literature (Database: Pubmed, Google Scholar, Respective institutional reports written in Korean, Japanese and English). Some sort of a real-time monitoring system is in place in all three countries. Japan collects patients’ drug records and allows physicians to review them for appropriate use. Taiwan has introduced Pharma Cloud in 2014 in order to let physicians access patients’ prescription records for prevention of overuse of medicines including duplicate prescriptions. Korea has implemented a real time drug utilization review (DUR) system to monitor for duplicate prescriptions and contraindicated combination drug therapy. Japan in 2016 has provided clinicians some incentives in place to monitor for polypharmacy. Taiwanese National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) monitors for excessive prescribing/polypharmacy in drug therapy management of chronic diseases. NHIA adjusts medical reimbursement when physicians do not improve medication overuse. Korea in 2012 has implemented an incentive program for clinicians as well as for patients on drug therapy management of chronic diseases. Each country has a real-time drug use monitoring system and incentive/disincentive program in place to check for appropriate use of medicines. The real-time DUR system of Korea needs to include patients’ health records so that physicians’ prescribing practices improve in quality. Incentive program in Korea needs to relate effectively with quality evaluation.