In Turkey, hospital and pharmacy services are well developed and continue to improve. The most suitable system has been created for the patients to live a comfortable life. Patients are provided with the easiest access to medicines. Well, you might ask, how does the pharmacy system work? In this article, we examined the prescribing and pharmacy system in Turkey.
Pharmaceutical Track & Trace System in Turkey
Turkey has a Pharmaceutical Track&Trace System. With this system, it is possible to determine the position of the products in the supply and distribution processes. Thanks to the electronic product code technology, it is possible to monitor every movement of drugs in the supply chain from production or import. Accordingly, thanks to the QR codes printed on each medicine box, the entry and the exit of the products are reported, the location, time, and status of the last product are recorded and stored in a real-time database. The Pharmaceutical Track and Trace System project, which the Ministry of Health has implemented for the first time, is followed with interest by many countries. Generating the pedigree of drugs is extremely important for ensuring drug reliability and revealing the main sources of drug counterfeiting.
After examining the data collected by the system, which has an essential role in improving patient safety, violations will be detected.
Types and Costs of Pharmaceutical Products
There are 3 types of products included in the Pharmaceutical Track and Trace System: Prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and medical nutrition products (food supplements).
Insured persons in Turkey do not have to pay a fee to benefit from drugs in pharmacies. However, some medicines are not covered by insurance. Payment must be made to purchase these medicines, regardless of whether the patients are insured or uninsured. Over-the-counter drugs such as painkillers and antipyretics are also out of the scope of insurance. However, the cost of these drugs is relatively low.
Who May Benefit from the General Health Insurance in Turkey?
Foreigners can also benefit from the pharmacy system in Turkey. General health insurance and private insurance cover many pharmacy purchases. The insurance holder does not have to pay for many drugs. People who do not have any insurance have to cover the cost of the medicine themselves, regardless of their nationality. Most of the drugs sold in pharmacies are free of charge for people who have general health insurance or private insurance.
· Foreigners who have obtained a residence permit (it is necessary to have private insurance to obtain a residence permit),
· Foreigners who do not have insurance in a country other than this country,
· Citizens of foreign countries who have been living in Turkey for more than one year and applied after this period
can benefit from the general health insurance.
