Only invalidity and old age pensioners will now be eligible to receive drugs under the National Insurance Scheme’s (NIS) drug distribution programme.
This took effect from May 1, the NIS announced in an advertisement in today’s edition of this newspaper.
Previously, any NIS contributor who was suffering from a chronic illness such as hypertension or diabetes was eligible to receive medication from the NIS dispensary. The dispensary is at the NIS Head Office in Brickdam and persons could have taken their prescriptions there and received their medication. Stabroek News also understands that the pharmacist visited different NIS locations on given days and drugs would be distributed as per prescription presented.
Starting May 1, however, only invalidity and old age pensioners can access the drugs; other insured persons must purchase their drugs and make claims for reimbursement.
And according to the advertisement, all pensioners must submit a prescription every three months in order to receive and continue to receive drugs.
The new prescription rule was described as a major problem for elderly persons at a recent meeting NIS had with the public at Paradise, East Coast Demerara.
It was pointed out that it necessitated pensioners visiting a doctor regularly which posed a problem as many of them had mobility problems and also could not afford the doctors’ consultation fees every three months.
Chairman of the NIS Board Dr Roger Luncheon, who was present at the meeting, had said he understood the difficulties the pensioners faced in this regard as these were mentioned to him when he visited a doctor recently. He had said the new system was introduced by management but he had since asked management how the matter was dealt with before and it was an issue up for discussion at the next board meeting.
He had stated that he did not want to discuss the issue any further as he did not want to prejudice the upcoming board discussion. However, he did note that nowhere in the world was a prescription from a doctor who could not be found recognised. He also said that if after some time the person no longer needed the medication, the person would not know this unless s/he was seen and examined by a doctor.
