Berlin (dpa) - When patients are discharged from hospital, they can ask the clinic for the physician's letter. Normally, it is sent automatically to the general practitioner. In the letter, the general practitioner is informed about the previous treatment, asserts the Federal Ministry of Health in a new leaflet.

The next time the patient visits their general practitioner or specialist doctor, they can submit the letter in case the hospital has not sent it to the doctor. The letter contains all data on hospitalization, the medication administered so far including the dosage, test results and recommendations for further treatment.

If the patient is still on medication, the practitioner could then prescribe another drug or drugs with comparable active components or therapeutic effect. This decision could be made by the practitioner, or could depend on the patient's health insurance contract. Therefore, the letter should include at least one cheaper product that is similar to the compound used at the hospital, they say.