Over 125,000 entitled to free medicine

With reference to the article regarding the waiting time at the Schedule V offices, I would like to make the following points, which are crucial for readers to better understand the situation.

First of all, the reform means that the list of conditions for which persons can get free medicine has been doubled from 38 to 79. This meant a hefty increase in the number of people who are now entitled to free medicines. Furthermore, the reform also meant that most of the people who were already availing themselves of this free service could apply to be eligible for more free medicine.

The reform was an immediate success welcomed by both those who are now entitled to free medicine for the first time and also those who can now collect more free medicine. In fact, today, over 125,000 persons are entitled to free medicine.

Throughout the years, the government has also increased the list of free medicines. This list today includes over 1,300 free medicinals.

These numbers are evidence of the high amount of people who today collect various types of medicines at no cost. Were it not for this service, 125,000 people would need to purchase their medicines themselves.

Although it would be ideal that when applying for this service one doesn’t wait at all, the high number of people involved also means that, on random days, the related office experiences an influx of patients.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind the users of this free service that they can send the application by post to the Medicines Entitlement Unit, Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care, St Lukes Hospital, Guardamangia.