Seniors will get more free medicines, but on one condition

Recently, new regulations have been introduced regarding free medicines for seniors and minors. Although significant simplifications have been introduced, they do not mean unlimited access to all medicines. In addition to the appropriate age, other conditions must also be met. What should you remember before going to the pharmacy?

In mid-February , an amendment to the act regulating the availability of free medicines came into force . According to the Ministry of Health, prescriptions can be issued by all persons authorized to practice medical professions, i.e.:

• doctors,
• dentists,
• nurses,
• paramedics and senior paramedics,
• pharmacists.

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This applies to both specialists who have a contract with the National Health Fund and those who run private practices. Thanks to this, more patients can take advantage of this solution. The regulations cover people under 18 and seniors over 65.

To be eligible to receive free medicine, you must meet all the criteria presented in the announcement issued by the Minister of Health:

• first of all, you must have the right to use guaranteed health benefits,
• then it is necessary to diagnose the condition that is currently covered by reimbursement,
• the third condition is to verify whether the prescribed medicine is on the list of free medicines ,
• Finally, it is checked whether the patient is of the statutory age.

What does this mean in practice? Let's assume that a given reimbursed drug applies to diabetics. If a person 65+ or 18- suffers from insulin resistance, for example, but has not been diagnosed with diabetes, they will be forced to pay for the drug they need.

SEE: Free tests for seniors. What can you get a referral for?

It is important to remember that the potential beneficiary must be of the required age both on the day of issuing and on the day of filling the prescription. If everything is correct, the appropriate code is added to the document from the doctor ("DZ" for minors, "S" for seniors) and you can go to the pharmacy.

There are two lists of reimbursed medicines. The one for seniors is marked D2 and contains 3,662 products . This is 97 percent of all such medicines available in pharmacies. According to data from the Ministry of Health, thanks to this type of support for seniors, the total savings in this group exceed PLN 7 billion.

SEE: Don't have this document? The National Health Fund issues it for free, and it can save your life

The Ministry emphasizes that by expanding the group of doctors who can write a prescription for cost-free treatment, it will be possible to "use the potential of medical professions". It is expected that the functioning of the state health service will be improved. Patients will feel this, among other things, due to the planned shortening of queues for specialists.

It is also worth remembering that the act increased the powers of pharmacists . They can issue a prescription for a vaccine administered as part of recommended vaccinations. The condition is that the injection is performed directly in a pharmacy. This is intended to make it easier for people who would have difficulty transporting the preparation to a clinic.