Chronically ill patients to obtain medicines from family doctors from now on

The new developments in primary healthcare provide that patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, reduced thyroid gland function, bronchitis of the lungs and asthma can receive therapy and education from their family doctor.

With the changes in the primary healthcare system, patients/insured persons, through the HIF, will be able to obtain therapy for chronic diseases more quickly and more efficiently. In accordance with the new Rulebook, patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, reduced thyroid gland function, bronchitis of the lungs and asthma will be able to receive therapy and education from their family doctor, announced M.A. Magdalena Filipovska-Grashkoska, Director of the Health Insurance Fund.

With these new developments, family doctors will be able to prescribe therapy and make diagnoses, which until now was done only by specialists and subspecialists. This means that patients will receive the health service closer to their place of residence and will not be additionally referred to a specialist in the relevant field
- announced Filipovska-Grashkoska.

The Ministry of Health, with the support of the WHO, has launched a campaign on the changes in the primary healthcare system.

On the basis of an analysis by the Ministry of Health, the need was identified for revising and introducing systemic solutions in primary healthcare, which represents the foundation of the entire healthcare system. The transformation is aimed at revising and modernising primary healthcare, with an emphasis on chronic diseases
- said the Minister of Health, Dr Fatmir Mexhiti.

For this purpose, the Ministry of Health printed interactive brochures, trained 700 family doctors and visited several health centres so that patients and doctors could become closely acquainted with these new developments.