In May, representatives of the profession discovered a new project of “complexification” imagined by the services of the Ministry of Health. In order to combat the misuse and waste of level I analgesics, the idea was to limit their first dispensation to two boxes per patient. This project, if it has not yet been implemented, is more relevant than ever…
For several months, a consultation on the supervision of level I analgesics has been underway between representatives of pharmacists and the Directorate General of Health (DGS). Flagship measure desired by this service attached to the Ministry of Health: limit first-time deliveries of paracetamol, ibuprofen or even aspirin to two boxes per patient, particularly those suffering from chronic illnesses. For the executive, the objective is twofold: to save money by reducing the volumes delivered and to act against misuse. If the objectives may seem laudable, the method greatly irritates the presidents of the pharmacists’ unions, who very early on denounced yet another measure of “complexification”. “If a patient comes with a prescription for ibuprofen, paracetamol and tramadol, I will have to issue tramadol for a month and, for ibuprofen and paracetamol, I could only issue two boxes which, in addition, will not have the same number of days of treatment… It’s ridiculous. I agree to limit dispensing, to limit sales without a prescription, but we must not do anything”summarized Pierre-Olivier Variot, president of the Union of Community Pharmacists’ Unions (USPO).
Although we have had no news of this file since, it has not yet been buried. The consultation continues and it is not necessarily going in the right direction, as reported by Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France (FSPF). “In this project, there is still an unacceptable measure: it is the limitation to two boxes for chronic patients, he confirms. We are not going to ask chronic patients who take 3 or 4 grams of paracetamol per day to come and collect their boxes two by two. It’s unplayable: this draft decree cannot therefore pass as it stands”warns the president of the FSPF.
For the moment, the criticisms already made by pharmacists on this issue have not been heard. Consequently, Philippe Besset decided to contact the ministry directly. “This idea of limiting the first delivery to two boxes amounts to denying the problem of pain, of access to care for these patients who sometimes have difficulty accessing their treatments”, he denounces, determined to convince the ministry’s services to review their copy. There is still hope, because the consultation is not over. This must in fact end on December 23.
