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From March 1, 2020, a new list of reimbursed drugs will come into force. Major changes await, among others diabetics and cancer patients.
There will be both cuts and increases
According to “Polityka Zdrowotna”, referring to the data of the IQVIA company, 21 drugs were withdrawn from the pharmacy reimbursement. 49 others were included. The amount of patient subsidies has been reduced for 399 drugs, foodstuffs for particular nutritional uses and medical products, but only 10 of them are subject to reductions of more than PLN 18. The largest change in the patient’s payment occurred in the case of the Allergopharma Novo-Helisen Depot allergen – its price dropped from PLN 486,30 to PLN 33,60.
On the other hand, the increase in prices for the patient concerns 360 drugs. The amount of PLN 10 exceeds in the case of eight of them – mainly insulin analogues. Increases in several zlotys are waiting, among others some patients treated for heart disease and high cholesterol. Approximately PLN 4 more will cost e.g. tablets Torvacard, Roswer, Atoris. However, the biggest change, amounting to PLN 1714, will occur in the case of posaconazole (Noxafil by MSD), used in the treatment of fungal infections. It is related to the introduction of the generic drug Posaconazole Sandoz.
Diabetes Drugs – Reimbursement Changes
The new list shows that from March 1 diabetics will pay less for six insulins. Abasaglar will be the most cheaper (by PLN 15,54 per pack). The prices of Mixtard 40 and 50 (by PLN 9,92), Mixtard 30 (by PLN 9,29), as well as Actrapid and Insulatard (by PLN 0,98) will also decrease. However, the list of drugs for which diabetics will have to pay more is longer. It includes, among others for Toujeo (by PLN 48,10), Tresiba FlexTouch (by PLN 20,99), Lantus and Tresiba (by PLN 17,07), Ryzodeg (by PLN 14,70), Liprolog, Insulin Lispro Sanofi, Liprolog KwikPen (by PLN 3,40 PLN XNUMX).
The big novelty on the reimbursement list is FIASP rapid-acting insulin. The patient’s surcharge for 1 vial (10 ml) will be PLN 19,67, and for 5 cartridges (3 ml each) – PLN 37,47. Reimbursement is provided for all type 1 diabetic patients, without any age restrictions.
Oncological drugs on the reimbursement list
The Ministry of Health announced the introduction of a new drug program for patients suffering from medullary thyroid cancer. The program is to include the drug vandetanib (Caprelsa). There is also a new indication for cetuximab (Erbitux), which is used in the treatment of squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. However, the project lacked modern therapeutic options (immunotherapy) for patients with melanoma and lung cancer.
Other new reimbursement therapies
As Maciej Miłkowski, Deputy Minister of Health for Medicines, emphasized on Twitter, L-carnitine treatment will be reimbursed from March in the case of selected metabolic diseases.
Patients suffering from the ultra-rare type XNUMX Gaucher disease will benefit from the extension of the ministerial list. From the next month, patients will be able to benefit from eliglustat (Cerdelgi) reimbursement. It is the first oral drug used to treat this disease. The only drugs available so far were given as infusions in the hospital, two weeks apart.
The new therapy will also be given to patients with acromegaly (associated with excessive secretion of growth hormone), because the drug program will include pegvisomant (Somavert). Moreover, women under 40 who are treated for infertility will benefit from the change of the ministerial list. The reimbursement will include follitropin delta (Rekovelle), a preparation used in the controlled ovarian stimulation.
The list has also been extended to include:
- Posaconazole Sandoz for PLN 3,20 and Posoconazole Mylanza PLN 5,47 – drugs intended for patients after bone marrow transplantation (HSCT), preventing fungal infections,
- equivalents of adalimumab (Idacio) – a drug used in autoimmune diseases and in the treatment of the uveal membrane (available in pre-filled pen, pre-filled syringe and vial in all six drug programs).
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