Out-of-stock medicines are now being shown on the Health Ministry’s website.

Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia told Parliament yesterday the government’s list of 82 chronic diseases was being increased by two, with the addition of myalgia encephalopathy and fibromyalgia.

Laying out changes to reduce bureaucracy in the free medicines set-up, he said multiple sclerosis was in the final stages of study for free, expensive medicines to start being offered in the second quarter of this year, in keeping with a government promise.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Affairs had now been stripped of the Medicines Entitlement Unit (MEU), which had become part of the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme with a common ICT system.

Out-of-stock medicines were now being shown on the ministry’s website, Dr Farrugia said.

Answering questions by Opposition health spokesman Claudio Grech, he said he had met 21 entities, only eight of which had been individuals, during four public consultations.

In very positive feedback they had all pointed to the need for patient-centric streamlining, possibly leading to the introduction of a smart card for every patient.

“One size fits all is no longer an option,” he said.

The bringing together of medical stores at Marsa, Madliena and St Luke’s Hospital into a centralised one at San Ġwann was part of a gradual, structured reform process.

Dr Farrugia said the amalgamation of the MEU with the POYC now constituted a one-stop shop where a patient visiting with all the required documentation in hand received their yellow card on the spot, rather than having to wait for weeks.

“Timeliness of delivery is of the essence,” he said.