Readers see benefit in an annual MOT for medicine use. “Some people have been addicted to their pills for decades.”
Double benefit
Stopping medication, the knife cuts both ways. It makes the user healthier, and it means lower costs for the insurer. Experience shows that people who come out of hospital after being admitted can continue well with less medication.
Post office, Doetinchem
Addicted to pills
Every time I speak to peers (70-plus), I am amazed at the attachment to their pills. Often they have been taking the same medicines for decades. As a former pharmacist’s assistant, when I sometimes warn, I hear the most nonsensical arguments. “It’s a routine, you get attached to filling that medicine box on Monday and if it doesn’t help, it won’t hurt.” If consultation with the doctor is a bridge too far, I advocate an appointment with the pharmacist. He knows more than doctors about medicines. People must be encouraged to think for themselves about the use of medicines and about what medicines do in the body. Dosages need to be adjusted with age.
Ella Veenstra-Monteban, Leiden
Deposit
If you receive a bag full of pills once every three months, it is quite a task to get a change implemented, even doctors are not keen on it. Even if that were to improve, there would still be unused medicines. It would be a solution if the pharmacy gives a small fee, for example 5 or 10 cents per pill, to encourage people to return unused medicines.
Jaap Gelderblom, Sleeuwijk
Self healing
It is certainly worthwhile to stop taking medication because there are so many disadvantages and the body has a self-healing capacity. Usually people don’t think about stopping or reducing their medication, too often they still think that the doctor knows better. That is why an annual MOT would not be crazy at all to see what is really needed. Partly because the costs in regular medicine are skyrocketing.
Jose Vos, Nijmegen
Individual choice
Yes, an annual MOT for medication use is necessary to prevent unnecessary swallowing. Quitting smoking, cutting down on alcohol and taking medication for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar is preceded by a question: do the goals of these actions weigh up against the possible side effects? In other words: what makes you happy, how do you want to grow old and what do you need for that? Certainly, smoking and drinking increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. And yes, a blood pressure lowering agent can, in the long run, lower the risk of a heart attack. But do we also think about the consequences for the quality of our lives? That abstinence can cause stress? Live consciously, enjoy in moderation and deal responsibly with addictive substances and medication. A personal periodic interview can contribute to this.
Annette Thijs-Tjerkstra, practice nurse Ouderkerk a/d Amstel
Monic Slingerland is chief of the opinion editor. Every weekend she asks a question to the readers, on Wednesday a selection of the answers appears.