The workshop summarizing 5 years of implementation and proposing policy development on drug support for cancer patients was held by the Ministry of Health this afternoon, November 8, in Hanoi.
According to the Department of Health Insurance (Ministry of Health), over the past 5 years, 18 programs to support partially free medicine for cancer patients have been implemented according to the provisions of Circular 31/2018/TT-BYT (applicable from 2019 to the end of August 2023). The total value of the supported medicine is 1,600 billion VND with 6,051 cancer patients participating. On average, each patient is supported with 264 million VND.
More than 6,000 cancer patients have received support from programs that provide partially free medication for treatment.
Of these, 15 programs are ongoing, 3 have ended, and 6 programs are reviewing applications.
The two programs with the largest value are the Keytruda drug support program with VND 734.6 billion (accounting for 46%); the Tagrisso (osimertinib) drug support program for patients with non-small cell lung cancer with a value of VND 625.9 billion (accounting for 39%). This is also the program with the longest implementation period, over 9 years (April 2020 - June 2029).
The program with the largest number of participants was the Keytruda (pembrolizumab) support program for cancer patients with 2,450 patients and the Tagrisso (osimertinib) support program for non-small cell lung cancer patients with 1,612 patients. The program with the fewest participants (6 patients) was the Hemlibra (emicizumab) support program that provided partial free access to Hemophilia A patients.
According to the assessment of the representative of the Health Insurance Department, the drug support programs are truly humane, helping patients reduce treatment costs and economic burden, especially for patients with serious diseases (cancer) with very high treatment costs, while most of these drugs are newly invented drugs, not yet covered by the health insurance fund.
Therefore, these drug support programs have received much attention and support from hospitals, doctors, as well as acceptance from patients and their families. Patients cooperate and comply with the program's regulations, thereby better adhering to the treatment regimen.
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan
Proposal to reduce procedures
At the workshop, the implementing units proposed to discuss and give opinions on the proposed amendments and supplements stipulated in the draft circular with the hope that when promulgated and implemented, drug support for patients will be most convenient, better responding to the practical requirements of life, especially for patients with serious illnesses.
Proposal to expand the range of supportive drugs for cancer patients to increase access to drugs and reduce treatment costs for patients
Some opinions suggested that medical examination and treatment facilities should be decentralized to discuss and agree with pharmaceutical businesses and sign cooperation contracts to implement the program without having to be approved by the Ministry of Health. This would help simplify administrative procedures and shorten the time it takes for patients to access supportive drugs.
The Ministry of Health should only prescribe the basic contents of the drug support program and guide the processes and procedures for hospitals and pharmaceutical businesses to implement on their own.
In addition, for partial free drug support programs, it is also necessary to study and expand to drugs that have expired their exclusive protection, biological drugs, or even to generic drugs to increase drug access and reduce treatment costs for patients.
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