Almost 3 thousand patients in Lviv Oblast received medicines for mental disorders this year

Almost 3 thousand patients in Lviv Oblast received medicines for mental and behavioural disorders, epilepsy this year thanks to the “Affordable Medicines” programme

This year, 2,867 patients in the Lviv region received medicines for mental and behavioural disorders and epilepsy under the Affordable Medicines programme. This is a programme that allows patients to receive vital medicines free of charge or with a small co-payment. The medicines available under the programme include a wide range of medicines for mental and behavioural disorders and epilepsy. In particular, such medicines are needed for patients with

• schizophrenia, schizotypal states and delusional disorders;

• mood disorders (affective disorders);

• neurotic conditions associated with stress and somatoform disorders.

“Ukrainians with epilepsy, mental and behavioural disorders can receive medicines under the Affordable Medicines programme free of charge or with a partial co-payment. Currently, the reimbursement programme includes 65 brand names of such medicines. Of these, 23 are free of charge, while the rest are subject to a partial co-payment. All you need to do is get an electronic prescription from your doctor and take it to a pharmacy that has a contract with the NHSU. Medicines are selected not by trade name, but by the active ingredient,” says Natalia Gusak, Head of the National Health Service of Ukraine.

“It is difficult to cure epilepsy, but regular medication helps to control and restrain epileptic seizures and allows you to live a full life. A specialised doctor – a neurologist or psychiatrist, including a paediatric neurologist – can prescribe the appropriate treatment and write a prescription for “Affordable Medicines”. The National Health Service encourages patients who need such treatment to take advantage of this opportunity,” adds Tetiana Kudyk, Director of the Western Interregional Department of the NHSU.

To receive medicines for mental, behavioural and epilepsy disorders under the Affordable Medicines programme, a patient needs to:

1. See a psychiatrist who will draw up a treatment plan and write a prescription for medicines under the reimbursement programme. In case of epilepsy, you need to see a neurologist; patients with mental and behavioural disorders who are also diagnosed with epilepsy can get an electronic prescription for medicines under the programme from a psychiatrist. If a healthcare facility is located in a combat zone or in the temporarily occupied territory, a paper prescription may be issued. For subsequent prescriptions, you can go to your family doctor, general practitioner or paediatrician. The doctor will be able to issue a prescription based on a treatment plan previously drawn up by a specialist doctor.

2. The prescription should be filled at a pharmacy that has an agreement with the NHSU. You can find out whether the pharmacy has this agreement by looking at the sticker “Here is “Affordable Medicines” on the pharmacy’s facade or by asking an employee.

3. Upon presentation of a prescription, the pharmacy employee offers medicines containing the required active ingredient and informs you which of the medicines is free of charge and which requires a co-payment.

Important! The prescription is valid for 30 days from the date of issue.

The list of medicines that patients can receive under the Affordable Medicines programme includes medicines with the following active ingredients:

• Phenytoin (Phenytoin)

• Carbamazepine

• Valproic Acid/Sodium valproate

• Lamotrigine

• Haloperidol

• Clozapine

• Risperidone

• Clomipramine

• Amitriptyline

• Fluoxetine

You can find the nearest pharmacy with a contract with the NHS

• via the dashboard on the NHSU website: https://edata.e-health.gov.ua/ e-data/dashboard/pharmacy-map: in the left menu, select your locality and the direction of the reimbursement programme;

• by calling the NHSU Contact Centre at 16-77.