Sejm allocates PLN 125 mln for free medicine for Poles over 75

The Polish parliament (Sejm) has adopted a law on free medicine for seniors, and allocated PLN 125 million for the first year. According to the law, all patients aged 75 and above will receive free-of-charge medicine that is included in a separate listing on the medical refund list (the list will be gradually expanded). "The list will be related to the treatment of illnesses of old age. There are no antibiotics, antipyretics, or other drugs used in ad hoc situations. We will focus on those medicines that are actually unavailable for seniors at the moment. Most likely it will not be the cheapest drugs, but those that are more expensive," claimed Konstanty Radziwiłł, the Minister of Health. The first act  will be announced no later than September 1 by the Minister of Health. Only GPs and nurses will be authorized to prescribe free medicine. Due to the increasing number of elderly people and the potential expansion of the list of medicines, it was decided to boost the budget for the project by 15 precent in the next six-seven years.