"My father takes 15 pills a day, combining 11 medications in different ways every morning, noon and night. I'm sure many of you are familiar, right?"These are the words of Antonio Monje, an innovation expert at ING, in a post on his LinkedIn wall.In it he tells that, every month, his father goes to the pharmacy for the mediation prescribed by Social Security and that on his last visit he received a pleasant surprise."They have given him all his monthly medication in a single box, from which a plastic spiral comes out with small individual envelopes that contain the exact medication that he has to take on the indicated day and time. As simple as taking out the next envelope, opening and drink".This service is known as the Personalized Dosing System and is available to everyone.We tell you what it consists of, how much it costs, if it is available in all pharmacies and how to request it.The Personalized Dosing System is a service offered by pharmacies through which they order the patient's medication on a weekly basis and in different doses depending on the times of each dose."What the pharmacist does is repackage all the patient's medicines in a blister pack. It is a kind of safety guarantee that, in addition, facilitates the autonomy of the person who takes it in cases of advanced age, which is what this system is designed for." ", explains Blanca Suárez, pharmacist and COFCam trainer.Not all patients can benefit from them."It is not available for those people with a considerable decrease in functional capacity (adequate manual dexterity and sufficient visual acuity are required) and who do not have a reference caregiver, who mostly use medications that are not likely to be included or people in whom the minimum necessary information about their complete pharmacotherapy cannot be obtained", tells us Tamara Peiró, a pharmacist in the Assistance Services area of ​​the General Pharmaceutical Council.The idea is to open the blister in which the date and time is specified and take the set of pills inside without worrying about anything since it is the pharmacist who guarantees that everything is in its place and well placed."It offers many advantages, first of all a review that all the medication is necessary and up to date - this is done with the doctor - and, in addition, it relieves patients and families of worries by avoiding forgetfulness or misunderstanding of medical indications, It is ideal”, adds the COFCam spokesperson.At the moment, and although it is legislated, it is not a mandatory service since establishments must meet a series of characteristics in order to carry it out."They must have a specific area both for the custody of the medication and for reconditioning. It is very important to be able to guarantee optimal conditions," Suárez emphasizes.That is why not all of them are prepared or have the necessary infrastructure to offer it.In addition, the pharmacists who prepare the blister packs need to take some courses, specific training."Yes, it is common that when a pharmacy detects a need or is in an area with an aging population, it begins to offer or if it is not possible, the person is referred to another nearby."This service is not implemented homogeneously throughout the national territory, although some Autonomous Communities have it well developed and implemented."We must bear in mind that they can only be carried out with prior authorization by signing an informed consent, by the patient or their legal representative, in compliance with Organic Law 3/2018, of December 5, on the Protection of Personal Data and guarantee of digital rights", points out Tamara Peiró.Depends.It is the pharmacy that decides if it is a paid service or not and that establishes the price for making it available to the customer."This has a cost for the pharmacy both for the time invested in preparing it and for the necessary material and it is the same establishment that decides if it is a plus or if it does it for free, assuming the cats themselves," he explains. Suarez.As we have seen before, there are differences by communities."Some have managed to agree on the provision and remuneration of the same, in some cases (elderly polymedicated, beneficiaries of home care, etc.). In these cases they have no cost for the patient," adds Peiró.At the moment, no.At least not nationally.It is true that in Andalusia the College of Pharmacists does have it published on its page, but there is nothing official."If a patient needs the service, he can always go to the nearest pharmacy and request it. At that moment, it is that health establishment that sees how to manage it, if they can do it, if they have to refer him…"Suárez explains to us that lately an increase in demand and also in supply has been observed.Due to the increase in life expectancy, it is increasingly common for patients to take a lot of medication and the pharmacist himself, when he sees that the patient may make a mess or not take the treatment well, is the one who offers it."But it's not just the elderly, people also come asking why the neighbor has seen it or many children who want it for their parents, so that they can continue to be autonomous. Without a doubt and from all points of view, it is a very useful tool. beneficial for the patient", comments Suárez.The only reference in which DPS is mentioned at the national legal level is in article 86.1 of Royal Legislative Decree 1/2015, of July 24, which approves the consolidated text of the Law on guarantees and rational use of medicines and health products, establishes that "once the medicine has been dispensed, personalized dosage systems may be provided to patients who request it, in order to improve therapeutic compliance, in treatments and with the conditions and requirements established by the competent health administrations ".That is to say, "it is the Autonomous Communities (CCAA) that must legislate it, and many do so, such as Aragón, Castilla La Mancha or Navarra. In addition, it is made clear that the preparation of SPD is a post-dispensing act that the pharmacist is going to carry out, if you wish, under your personal responsibility", concludes Peiró.