The Minister of Health has officially announced a very important last-minute decision that targets millions of Romanians throughout the country, and this is because it brings to the attention of all people the fact that 8 more new molecules will be added to the list of those approved for new therapeutic indications regarding compensated drugs.
The Minister of Health talks below about how this is done, but also how the Romanians will feel this extremely important measure, in the end, for them, everything being thought for the good of the patients by the Romanian authorities, which of course is a excellent news for millions of Romanians.
"The Ministry of Health has published in decision-making transparency the Draft Government Decision that allows the introduction of 8 new molecules on the list of compensated and free medicines, of which 2 are approved for new therapeutic indications. The drugs are intended for patients with oncological conditions, diabetes and rare diseases. Conditional inclusion decisions were issued and cost-volume contracts concluded for all 8 drugs.
The molecules for which a decision of unconditional inclusion in the list of compensated and free medicines was issued by ANMDMR were sent to the specialized commissions within the Ministry of Health for consumption estimation. In the next period, these medicines will be included in the list through a subsequent Government Decision.
During 2022, a number of 76 new molecules were introduced through three Government Decisions, which represented an important increase compared to 2021, when 56 molecules were introduced. This reflects the Ministry of Health's interest in speeding up the procedure for including drugs on the list of compensated and free drugs and improving patients' access to innovative therapies.
We are thinking about how to prevent this targeting of patients. That is, if the patient presents himself de novo to the private hospital, it is his option, especially since the co-payment in the private system is often substantial, it is only possible for some of the patients. We must be able to offer medical services to everyone, even if they have no money for the co-payment, and this must happen in the public hospital.
That is, if a patient is consulted by a doctor in a hospital or in an outpatient clinic of a public hospital, he must stay in the public hospital. If he goes to a private practice, possibly to the same doctor, this is not at all right because there it is clearly a matter of directing the patient."
