We understand by single dose the prescription and dispensation of the exact dose that a patient needs for the treatment of his or her disease. It is very difficult to give an unequivocal opinion on the benefits of a measure that would implement this procedure on a large scale in the National Health System because there are many variables to be taken into account. Firstly, the disease subject can facilitate or hinder this method. Indeed, if it is an acute process of short duration, in which both the amount of medication and the duration of treatment are very limited, the measure can be more useful and easily implanted than if it is a chronic disease, which requires continuous medication and which, moreover, must be adjusted over time.

Pills are easily individualized, but what happens with drugs that only exist in the form of syrup or drops? Simply that in cases such as these the measure is impossible to apply. Because how do you individualize three drops or two tablespoons?

The European Medicines Agency approves drugs in boxes with a specific issue number of units, which is why the legislation would have to be reformed to adapt it to a possible shift towards the single dose. This system would also have consequences for production processes. It is not the same to manufacture blister packs of 12 or 24 tablets, for example, as it is to manufacture them in units.

Pharmacies are designed to dispense drugs as we know them today. The single dose would require them to be redesigned to adapt to a very different storage, stock control and dispensing system. All of this would exacerbate the profitability problems that many pharmacies already face today.

What about package inserts? Pharmacies would have to submit one every time a dose is dispensed. Would pharmacies be forced to keep hundreds of package inserts in stock? Would they have to print the corresponding package insert at each dispensing? In one case, the problem is again one of bureaucracy and logistics; in the other, of costs for the pharmacy.
The changeover from the current system to the single-dose system requires an in-depth study that assesses and quantifies its advantages and disadvantages and that has the consensus of all parties involved, especially physicians and pharmacists. And, in any case, it is important that we all bear in mind that this measure will probably be more beneficial for rationalizing the use of drugs than for reducing their cost.