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Since the beginning of this year, pharmacies have dispensed 40 percent less vitamin D medicines that require a prescription.
This is reported by the Pharmaceutical Key Figures Foundation (SFK) in the Pharmaceutisch Weekblad. Vitamin D is no longer reimbursed by health insurance since 1 January.
Vitamin D is also freely available, albeit in lower doses per unit. For higher doses you still need a prescription, but you now also have to pay for it yourself.
“In the first half of 2023, the number of prescription vitamin D dispensations had decreased by 40 percent to approximately 3.3 million from 5.5 million in the second half of 2022,” the SFK counted.
The SFK does not have a complete overview of the sale of over-the-counter vitamin D products. Not all pharmacies provide the necessary information. The foundation also does not know how many people now just buy vitamin D themselves at drugstores and supermarkets.
According to the Zorginstituut, vitamin D is not necessary to insure because of the relatively low cost of the drug and its easy purchase. “By removing vitamin D from the basic package, 129 million euros can be spent annually on care that is necessary for insurance,” the government’s website reads about the decision.
2023-08-05 17:20:16
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