How can palliative patients get painkillers for free? Hyde from the Ministry of Health

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Palliative patients can receive painkillers free of charge or with a partial co-payment.

The Ministry of Health has published step-by-step instructions on how to do this.

Among the products included in the reimbursement program (reimbursement of the cost of medicinal products by the state) “Affordable Medicines”, there are six morphine preparations in the form of tablets. Four of them can be obtained for free, and the other two are available for an additional fee.

Painkillers can be given to patients with the registered state of “Palliative care”. In the absence of such a status, you should first consult a primary care doctor (family doctor).

To receive the medicine, you must:

• Seek medical advicewhich will diagnose “chronic pain” and create an electronic prescription.

Oncology patients should visit a primary care doctor, patients with mental and behavioral disorders – a psychiatrist, other categories of people – a family doctor.

In the occupied territories and the war zone, a medical facility employee can also write out a paper prescription. Its electronic version is also considered valid. The prescription is valid for 30 days.

• Visit a pharmacy, which has a contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine. Such institutions can be found on the NSZU website.

• The pharmacist should name the prescription number and its redemption code. He will offer to choose from the available drugs that contain the necessary active substance. The pharmacist will also inform you which drugs are free and which require additional payment.

Important: the doctor can write a prescription for analgesic therapy outside the reimbursement program, so the patient will not have the opportunity to receive the drug for free or with partial payment.

Earlier we wrote about updating the list of “Available medicines”.

Anna Kovalenko, “UP. Life”