DESK REVIEWS | 07.05.04. Are any of the medications previously mentioned available for free or partially subsidised?

DESK REVIEW | 07.05.04. Are any of the medications previously mentioned available for free or partially subsidised?

Yes, all of them are available for free via SUS (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2017d).

References:

Brazilian Ministry of Health. (2017d). Relação Nacional de Medicamentos Essenciais 2017 (RENAME). http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/relacao_nacional_medicamentos_rename_2017.pdf

For Hospital Authority (HA) patients, all medications including anti-dementia special drugs are subsidised and provided at standard fees and charges. On one hand, non-HA patients can purchase these drugs with a prescription from community pharmacies as self-financed items (The Government of the Hong Kong SAR, 2015, February 25). On the other hand, recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, Old Age Living Allowance, medical fee waiver holders, or Level 0 Voucher holders of the Pilot Scheme on Residential Care Service Voucher for the Elderly, are waived from payment for public healthcare expenses (Hospital Authority, 2018).

References:

Hospital Authority. (2018). Waiving Mechanism of Public Hospitals.

The Government of the Hong Kong SAR. (2015, February 25). LCQ17: Dementia [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201502/25/P201502250512.htm

The Indian Department of Pharmaceuticals launched the Jan Aushadhi Scheme (JAS) (Public Medicine Scheme) in 2015 as a direct market intervention to make generic medicine more affordable and accessible to the general public in all Indian states (IES, 2015).

References:

IES, 2015. Jan Aushadhi Scheme – Arthapedia. Available from: http://www.arthapedia.in/index.php?title=Jan_Aushadhi_Scheme

No. STRiDE Jamaica is currently advocating for subsidisation of dementia-related medication to be covered by the National Health Fund. On April 20, 2020, STRiDE Jamaica presented their argument. For additional information, please refer to Part 2.

No. While the Clinical Practice for Alzheimer’s Disease & other Dementias (CENETEC, 2017) recommends cholinesterase inhibitors for managing dementia and the use of antipsychotic medications for challenging behaviour (Haloperidol and second generation medications Quetiapine and Risperidone), for all public and private institutions, a review of the Mexican Social Security Institute IMSS basic catalogue of medicines and of the Ministry of Health’s medication catalogue showed that these medications are not included. This means clinics or hospitals are not obliged to stock them or provide them for free.

References:

CENETEC. (2017). Diagnóstico y Tratamiento de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer. Guía de Evidencias y Recomendaciones: Guía de Práctica Clínica. Guia de Practica Clinica. http://www.cenetec-difusion.com/CMGPC/IMSS-393-10/RR.pdf

If medications are accessed at a PHC facility, they will be free (but with continuity challenges due to stock shortages). Private sector service users will carry the cost of these medication via medical aid support (depending on the user’s insurance plan option), and/or via out-of-pocket-payments.