Government rejects idea of zl. 1 flat rate prescription charge for pensioners

The Cabinet has vetoed Health Minister Andrzej Lapilski's plan to allow pensioner to buy medicines for zl. 1 According to Rzeczpospolita, the proposal was heavily criticized by all Ministers, and particularly by the Finance Minister. The main concern was that the policy would lead to an uncontrolled increase in expenditure on drugs. A month ago it was believed that the program would cost at least zl. 100 million, but now the figure is said to be closer to zl. 70 million. The proposal was in conflict with the Constitution which declares that the state is obliged to provide special assistance for children, pregnant women, disabled and elderly people, "But some of these groups were left out of the plan," said an anonymous informer. "EU directives allow each country to have its own medicine reimbursement system, but they must not discriminate between domestic and foreign producers," said Tomasz Krawczyk from the EU Integration Committee. Domestic producers claim that this proposal would allow them to prepare better for competition from the Common Market. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A3) M.M.