PHARMACISTS OF the National Health Fund (NHF) say the organisation's Individual Benefits is providing significant savings to especially elderly holders of Jamaica Drug Enhancement Programme (JADEP) and NHF health cards in filling their prescriptions.Horace Davidson, pharmacist at the Caledonia Mall Pharmacy in Mandeville, says some clients using their JADEP and NHF health insurance cards have been able to save as much as 60-70 per cent off the cost of their prescription drugs.
"It's good coverage," he says. "It's quite an exciting health insurance." Mr. Davidson says many more pharmacies should sign up to offer NHF benefits, so that their customers can benefit from the significant savings.
NO SURPRISE
It is not surprising that Caledonia Mall Pharmacy was the top claiming community pharmacy for the NHF in 2004. While the pharmacist says processing both JADEP and NHF health cards takes time, especially if clients also have the NI Gold Card or other health insurance, it is work he is prepared to do for the sake of the client.
According to a report by the NHF, the Mandeville-based pharmacist also had high praise for the expanded list of drugs the agency now offered.
"Previously certain drugs were out of the reach of some clients; however, with the subsidies now offered by NHF, clients can now think about buying them," he said. Norma Jackson of Great House Pharmacy in Ocho Rios also agrees that the NHF Individual Benefits Health Card is "very good."
"Sometimes I have to ask myself if this NHF health card is really real? Many of my clients with the NHF card and JADEP have been able to save significant amounts on their prescription drugs," she remarked.
COMBINING CARDS
But she noted that while the benefits make the clients happy, processing all the health cards takes much of the pharmacist's time. "Perhaps the government needs to look at combining the JADEP and NHF cards along with the NI Gold Health Insurance card into one health insurance scheme," she advises. She would also like to see further increases in the NHF subsidies for the more popular drugs.
Rohan Perrier of the Best Care Pharmacy in Montego Bay, says the provision of subsidies by the NHF for the more expensive drugs have put them within reach of many clients. He noted that the subsidy for insulin, for example, was very good.
Rae Barrett, CEO, in responding to the concern about the time taken to process prescriptions, has advised that the NHF is considering introducing a smart card with electronic wallets to simplify the work of the pharmacists. He noted that the NHF will be increasing its efforts in 2005 to enroll thousands more Jamaicans for the NHF and JADEP health cards.
