Palliative medicine

Making it easier to dispense medication to terminally ill patients

In the last phase of their lives, seriously ill people often experience an acute deterioration in their state of health and are dependent on highly effective medication such as opiates. In the past, however, palliative patients sometimes had to wait longer for their medication after receiving a prescription. A few months ago, however, dispensing was made easier.

Since an amendment to the Narcotic Drugs Ordinance in February 2024, palliative emergency medication such as opiates can be dispensed directly to patients after being prescribed by a doctor. Prior to this, they first had to be ordered, which of course involved a certain waiting time.

Social insurance does not cover stockpiling costs
However, social insurance does not cover the costs of the patient-independent stockpiling of medicines that is now permitted. The Ministry of Health is therefore providing a grant of 230,000 euros to cover the additional costs of palliative emergency medication for inpatient nursing and care facilities, mobile palliative teams, inpatient hospices and day hospices.

Hospiz Österreich, the umbrella organization of palliative care and hospice facilities, is responsible for processing this. From the fall, invoices can be uploaded via a submission platform. 

Rauch: "Rapid and unbureaucratic care"
"We have made it possible for patients to receive highly effective medication quickly and unbureaucratically in the event of an acute deterioration in their state of health. By covering the costs, we are now relieving the burden on palliative care facilities," explains Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens).