Test strips for patients with diabetes are now reimbursed by the state. Why is this important?
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In Ukraine, almost 1 million people suffer from diabetes, of which more than 150,000 are insulin-dependent. All of them need to measure their sugar level regularly – in order to control their medication intake depending on its amount.
The level of glucose in the blood in the human body in many countries, and in Ukraine in particular, is measured using a glucometer and test strips. They allow you to easily check the condition of a person, while he can be at home.
Every day, a person suffering from diabetes needs to check the sugar level several times. A person spends approximately one thousand hryvnias every month on their purchase, if we take the average cost of the strips.
This is an additional financial burden, especially difficult for insulin-dependent patients.
Therefore, since October 8, test strips have been included in the reimbursement program (reimbursement of the cost of medicines and medical products). This means that patients with type 1 diabetes will be able to get them at the pharmacy free of charge or with a surcharge.
How to get test strips?
First of all, you need to contact a primary care doctor or an endocrinologist. If necessary, he will write a prescription for insulin. At the same time, the doctor will create an electronic prescription for test strips.
E-prescription is simple. A 16-digit SMS + redemption code is sent to the phone.
Then you need to contact any pharmacy that has signed a contract with the National Health Service. Patients can always find the nearest pharmacy on the NHSHU dashboard or by contacting the hotline 1677.
Further, at the pharmacy, you can choose and receive test strips free of charge or with an additional fee.
Free or with extra payment – what does it depend on?
All patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can receive test strips free of charge or with a surcharge.
The patient is given a prescription for test strips without reference to the brand – then he goes to the pharmacy and chooses a brand according to his glucometer.
The types of test strips can be viewed on the website of the Ministry of Health or the National Health Service – the price and amount of patient co-payments are indicated there.
The list of test strips subject to reimbursement includes 23 items from different manufacturers.
The presence of a smartphone to receive medicines according to an electronic prescription is a common myth
Test strips, like all other medicines included in the reimbursement program, can be obtained only by electronic prescription, with the exception of the territories of Ukraine where hostilities are ongoing.
This is already a common and familiar process, in particular for patients with diabetes who receive insulin under the reimbursement program.
Having a smartphone to receive e-prescription drugs is a common myth. In fact, even the simplest phone that supports the SMS function is enough. After all, an e-prescription is a prescription number and its repayment code, which the patient receives via SMS. And if the patient does not have a phone at all, the doctor will print out an information certificate for him, which will contain everything necessary to pay off the prescription at the pharmacy.
So far, only type 1 diabetes patients are receiving sugar test strips – this is just the beginning. The reimbursement program is gradually expanding so that the maximum number of patients is provided with state support.
Maria Karchevych, Deputy Minister of Health for Digital Development, especially for UP. Life
Publications in the “View” section are not editorial articles and reflect exclusively the author’s point of view.
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