Health authorities are undertaking a significant initiative to improve pediatric treatment by approving the inclusion of two innovative antibiotic medications in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) system.
Experts from the National Council on Medicine Prices and Reimbursement (NCMPR) conducted a thorough review of medications intended for home treatment of children up to 7 years old. The focus was placed on antibiotic preparations that cover a wide spectrum of infectious diseases.
The new medications are specially profiled for treating 26 most common childhood infections. They cover respiratory system diseases, including complex cases such as sinusitis, pharyngitis, and pneumonia. Additionally, they are effective for skin and soft tissue infections.
Simultaneously, a procedure is underway to negotiate discounts with NHIF for a third medication, which is a mandatory condition for its inclusion in the official list. The procedure can only be initiated by the holder of the marketing authorization for the respective medication.
The Ministry of Healthcare is actively encouraging manufacturers of pediatric medications to offer their products for inclusion in the system. For its part, NCMPR has committed to quickly reviewing the submitted applications.
An expanded list of diseases for which NHIF will cover treatment fully or partially was published in the official State Gazette. The document includes 118 new medical codes, among which are intestinal infections, bacterial diseases, whooping cough, scarlet fever, and cystitis.
The decisions of NCMPR take effect immediately, with the corresponding administrative acts already communicated to NHIF for practical implementation and inclusion of the medications in the home treatment list.