(FP)
Effective Monday, April 23, drugs affected by changes to the Barbados Drug Formulary, will continue to be available to patients under the Barbados Drug Service’s Benefit Scheme until June 30. Both new prescriptions and valid refills will be honoured during this period.
The announcement came today at the conclusion of a meeting between the Ministry of Health, the Barbados Drug Service and stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, it was revealed that the Barbados Drug Service will reimburse the cost of these items to the private pharmacies during this period.
The period provides an opportunity for doctors to transition patients to the new medications. Patients have been advised to consult with their medical practitioners, pharmacists or the Barbados Drug Service to determine if the medications they are currently taking are still on the Formulary.
The changes to the Formulary, which occur every two years, are made on the advice of a team comprising local experts, doctors, pharmacists and members of the Drug Formulary Committee.
According to the statement, the changes are based on “regional and international guidelines, and are made in the interest of good patient care and to provide the best medication available”
The Ministry of Health gave the assurance that it would continue to work with its partners to monitor the situation “to ensure that we can continue to meet the health needs of the people of Barbados in the most effective manner”.