“The regional government must apply the safeguard clause and take charge of the different price share between the medicine supplied and the AIFA reference price, to avoid the citizen having to pay this difference in cost”. The Pd group asks the Ars with a question to the President of the Sicilian Region and the Councilor for Health, intervening on a very delicate issue which has been the subject of several reports from Sicilian citizens. The ticket for the pharmaceutical product for the treatment of diabetes insipidus today costs 25 euros per package and, what is more, the equivalent drug is not available.
“We are faced with – comments group leader Michele Catanzaro – a clear situation of hardship for many families, forced to face a heavy monthly expense of 75 euros for the purchase of three packs intended for patients who take the medicine daily. The Italian Medicines Agency has summarized the distribution methods applicable in the event of a shortage of medicines that are referenced in the transparency lists. The “safeguard clause” can be applied, with which the Region can take charge of the different price share between the medicine supplied and the AIFA reference price, to avoid the citizen having to pay the price difference; the drug can be eliminated from the transparency list at regional level, with the Region being able to independently remove it if it is unavailable: DPC (Distribution on behalf) or DD (Direct Distribution) Agreements can be implemented, with the aim of guarantee pharmaceutical assistance: medicines are generally purchased by the local health authorities/regions, but distributed to the patient, or on their behalf, through pharmacies (DPC) or using local public pharmacies (DD)”.
: “Region pays difference”){kind=link}