The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is taking significant steps to expand access to medications for the youngest Bulgarian citizens. The institution is currently working on introducing three new procedures for free provision of antibiotics and one antiviral medication for children up to seven years of age.
An expert team is performing a detailed refinement of the list of acute infectious diseases for which NHIF will cover the costs of home treatment. In parallel, representatives of the fund are conducting intensive negotiations with drug product license holders.
Initial statistical data show serious interest in the program. In the first month after its launch, 306 children received a total of 341 prescriptions for free antibiotics. These prescriptions were issued by 95 doctors and filled at 124 different pharmacies across the country.
The budget of the health institution has allocated 10 million leva to finance this initiative. However, some unresolved questions remain regarding the payment mechanism for antibiotics in pharmacies without a contract with NHIF.
The chairman of the Burgas Pharmacists' Union, Lyubima Burgazlieva, shared that a proposal has been submitted to supplement the positive drug list with a column that will indicate the value of medications in euros, which will further improve the transparency of the system.