THE HEALTH SECTOR is in for major cost-cutting measures that will have a serious impact on the Barbados Drug Service (BDS).
From April next year, the Government intends to roll out an “improved” drug formulary aimed at reducing Government’s bill to private pharmacies by up to $2 million a year.
This was revealed by Minister of Health Donville Inniss, who acknowledged that pensioners and other users of Government’s free Drug Service would have to go in their pockets – only if they continued to get their medication from private pharmacies.
Speaking to the SUNDAY SUN in an exclusive interview, Inniss said the time had come to rein in the spiralling cost of providing health care, and that immediate steps were being taken to curb spending.
“Health care is quite costly and we will cut however we can without compromising the delivery of service.”
Already, he said, a review had been done of the utility costs of health care facilities across the island and the Government would soon be introducing measures to save taxpayers up to $1/2 million in annual electricity and telephone bills.
But the major focus will be on the Drug Service which takes a $53 million chunk out of the ministry’s $490 million budget annually.
“The Drug Service plays an integral part in any modern health care system, but you must appreciate that in 1994 Government’s payment to the BDS was $16.7 million compared to $53 million this year,” Inniss said.
“All major services will continue to be covered, but as of April 2011, users of the Drug Service will not enjoy all of the luxuries that they do today.”
For one thing, a special committee that had been set up to review the Drug Service, had recommended that whereas up to five different medications might currently be disbursed for a single ailment, the patient might now receive one or two, depending on the nature of the illness.
Inniss reiterated that only Barbadians and permanent residents would be allowed to benefit, noting that currently non-nationals were also taking advantage at a significant cost to taxpayers.
But perhaps the Government’s biggest saving will be cutting out its payment to private pharmacies of the dispensing fee.
He explained that a dispensing fee had to be paid to private pharmacists for every precription filled, based on the value of the medication.
“This costs Government up to $1 million a month. We intend to deal with this issue head-on. My view is that this dispensing fee must be borne by those getting the medication. So if you can afford to pay it, then you can continue to go to the private pharmacists.
“However, if you can’t afford to, then you will go to one of the Government’s pharmacies.”
He acknowledged that this meant the Government would have to make sure its 14 pharmacies were adequately stocked to meet an expected increased demand.
Currently up to 700 000 prescriptions are filled by public pharmacies under the BDS, compared to 1.3 million by participating private pharmacies.
He said initial discussions had taken place with the private pharmacists about the proposed measures, and the initial reaction had been favourable, explaining that under the new system there would also be an improved reimbursement programme in place.
“Let me be frank. Barbados can’t continue with a system where every Barbadian and tourist can get all the services they want at little cost with our limited resources. There is too much pressure on the health care system, and there are some people taking the system for a ride.”
He stressed: “As a Government, our first aim will be to push prevention rather than cure. The fewer people that get ill, the better off we will all be as a society.
“But in the meanwhile, there is too much of a financial burden on our health care system and I as Minister of Health intend to tackle this problem head-on.”