The Health Ministry is analyzing the list of free drugs for seniors. For now, no decision on changes

Wednesday's committee meeting was dedicated to prevention and medicines, including drug programs and other forms of access to medicines for seniors. There have been a number of signals of concern in this area in recent months: in the autumn, the Ministry of Health signaled possible savings related to the free drug program, while there are constant reports of problems with qualifying new patients for drug programs due to limits imposed by the National Health Service.

Martyna Kosmal, deputy director of the Department of Drug Policy and Pharmacy at the Ministry of Health, told MPs that last year, from January to November, more than 143,000 patients aged 65+ benefited from treatment under drug programs. - The value of the total reimbursement amounted to more than PLN 5.3 billion. The largest group, nearly 40 thousand seniors, benefited from an ophthalmic drug program dedicated to retinal diseases. This treatment cost 136 million zlotys, she informed.The active substance that cost the most, over 730 million zlotys, was pembrolizumab administered in six drug programs. More than 6,500 patients aged 65+ benefited from this treatment, she added.

A population-based solution is the free drug program for seniors, which has been in operation for ten years. As the representative of the Health Ministry reminded, drugs included in the "S" list account for nearly 95 percent of all reimbursable drugs. In 2025, 9.3 million people benefited from the program, which cost more than PLN 3 billion.

Whether there are planned changes that would save the NHF budget, but at the same time would affect the availability of many preparations for patients (not only seniors, also children and adolescents and pregnant women), NPS Chairwoman Joanna Borowiak asked. Martyna Kosmal explained that due to the scale of expenditures and the impact of the list of free 65+ drugs on the payer's budget, the lists of free drugs were analyzed by the Department of Drug Policy and Pharmacy of the Ministry of Health. - As of today, however, there are no decisions resulting in changes. No drugs have been removed from the 65+ list.