“An incomprehensible decision in the middle of an epidemic.” The Union of Community Pharmacists’ Unions (USPO) denounced in a press release this Wednesday, January 15, a draft decree aimed at ending the reimbursement of antigenic tests against Covid-19 while France is going through a period of winter epidemics.
“These measures come at a critical time, in the midst of the flu and bronchiolitis epidemic in France, when hospitals are already saturated, white plans are increasing and medical offices are still struggling to absorb patient demand,” the statement underlines.
“If we have to force patients to pay for tests, they will no longer do them and many infections will be wasted,” laments Pierre-Olivier Variot, president of the Union of Community Pharmacists’ Unions, to BFMTV.
Bringing the strategy against Covid-19 “to common law”
The will of the Ministry of Health? Incorporate “the national strategy for the prevention and management of acute respiratory infections of viral origin (ARI), including Covid-19, (…) into common law,” the General Directorate of Health tells BFMTV.
Currently, Covid-19 antigen tests are the only rapid tests, which detect acute respiratory infections, which are partially reimbursed by Health Insurance with 16.5 euros. Like combined tests that detect both Covid-19 and the flu and, sometimes, also bronchiolitis. For the latter, the patient must currently pay an additional cost linked to the medical device of 3 euros.
Thus, the Ministry of Health wants to end the reimbursement of antigenic tests and these combined tests, both called TROD, rapid diagnostic guidance tests. “Pharmacists will be able to continue carrying out TROD Covid in pharmacies, as well as carry out self-examinations, at the request of patients, but the latter will no longer be covered by Health Insurance,” declared the General Directorate of Health on BFMTV.
For combined tests, “if support is eliminated, patients will have to pay 19.5 euros out of pocket,” laments to AFP Guillaume Racle, Uspo’s consulting economist.
For the pharmacists’ union, “the cancellation of reimbursement for antigenic tests will deprive patients of an essential tool to detect respiratory infections early and effectively.”
Upso, which asks “the Government to return to this draft decree as soon as possible”, perceives this decision as “a real stab in the back to health professionals”, “while the Ministry calls for reinforced mobilization around vaccination flu”. of the epidemic”.
PCR tests reimbursed under medical prescription
Regarding RT-PCR virological tests, the decree provides that their reimbursement by Health Insurance is conditional on the possession of a medical prescription, even for people at risk.
“For vulnerable people at risk of developing a severe form, the use of a Covid-19 RT-PCR test is recommended to confirm the virus in question and adapt treatment, if necessary. In this case, a medical prescription is necessary to allow reimbursement. “explains the DGS.
These new rules “will only come into force after the epidemic period in which we currently find ourselves,” the ministry specifies, stating that there is still no set date.
Please note that there are no changes planned for rapid tests that check the bacterial or viral nature of tonsillitis and are performed in pharmacies. “They have received support since June 2024 and continue to be so,” adds the DGS.
And rightly so: “unlike Covid-19 detection tests, they allow the pharmacy to indicate the prescription of an antibiotic and, as such, contribute to measures for the appropriate use of antibiotics and the fight against resistance to antibiotics.”
A dissonance with the words of François Bayrou?
The president of the Union of Community Pharmacists’ Unions considers this project “incomprehensible” in view of the comments made by the Prime Minister in his general policy speech this Tuesday. François Bayrou stated that he was reviewing health insurance spending amounting to “one billion euros” and canceling partial reimbursement for medicines and medical consultations.
“We cannot tell patients throughout France that there will be no reimbursement and that these tests will be reimbursed, it is completely absurd,” says Pierre-Olivier Variot. “I don’t see the goal from a medical point of view and I don’t see the goal from a political point of view.”
For its part, the Federation of French Pharmaceutical Unions is not surprised that the Covid pandemic is officially behind us, but advocates a more specific alternative treatment.
“It would be useful, during winter epidemics of respiratory syndromes, to maintain reimbursement for tests that combine the detection of flu, Covid and the bronchiolitis virus for the fragile population, that is, those over 65 years of age, patients and people with long-term illnesses. “its president, Philippe Besset, told AFP.
Source: BFM TV
