Tag Archives: medicine

Patients across Spain now supposed to be charged for hospital medicines

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As from this month, all regions of Spain are supposed to charge non-admitted patients a proportion of the cost of the medicines dispensed to them at hospitals. So the idea is that if you go to A&E and get treated, but not admitted, on the way out you have to swipe the old credit card. But not if the prescription is for a cronical condition : 147 medicines for long term treatments are exempt. So Continue reading Patients across Spain now supposed to be charged for hospital medicines→

70% of Andalucian prescription medicine made in Asia

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The PP has leaked a document showing that 70% of all prescription medicine ordered by the Junta de Andalucia in its last source auction is coming from labs in Asia, and what’s worse, some of these labs have been banned from selling to the USA after their FDA banned them. The Junta now orders its prescription medicines by mass auction. It publishes, a couple of times a year, a list of the prescription medicine it Continue reading 70% of Andalucian prescription medicine made in Asia→

No more state medicines in Balearic Islands as debt is unsustainable

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Pharmacists in the Balearic Islands have announced that patients must now pay for their prescription medicines up front and individually ask the regional government for their money back, after the debt owed to the pharmacists by the regional health service became “unsustainable”. The pharmacists guild say that they are owed over 90 million euros by the state system, and that the regional government has missed deadlines in paying the back debts. They say that they Continue reading No more state medicines in Balearic Islands as debt is unsustainable→

So, will you lose health rights in Spain? Yes, if you’re not registered!

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OK, so what’s happening with this cutback on health services? Here’s the brief scoop, as I understand it: The new law takes effect on the 31st of August and on that date: All illegal immigrants in Spain will loose their health rights, and if they have a health card, this will expire. If they have a residency permit in Spain, then they will continue to enjoy the same health rights as other citizens. All European Continue reading So, will you lose health rights in Spain? Yes, if you’re not registered!→

No more free ambulance trips for non urgent cases as economic measures bite…

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The new law ordering massive savings in the national health service of Spain contemplates charging patients the cost of the ambulance callout in “non urgent” cases, such as transport home after a visit to the hospital, or callouts for trivial cases. Although the implementation of such charges is down to the federal regions of Spain, the new law is expected to be quickly taken up by the bankrupt regions and implemented quickly (if quietly!). Other Continue reading No more free ambulance trips for non urgent cases as economic measures bite…→

Andalucian health service finds the cash to pay medicine bill for September (rest of year in doubt)

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Here’s a news story you may not have seen in the English press, despite its grave importance. The Andalucian Health Service (known as the SAS), has managed to come up with 160 million euros to pay for all the medicines prescribed during September, despite having earlier told the guilds of pharmacists that they wouldn’t be able to meet the bill, as Andalucia had run out of cash to pay its medicine bill for the last Continue reading Andalucian health service finds the cash to pay medicine bill for September (rest of year in doubt)→