In a decree published on Sunday in the Official Journal, the Ministry of Health took new measures to ensure the continuation of treatment and care during confinement. The text authorizes, among other things, pharmacists to renew certain drugs and oral contraceptives or medical services when a renewable prescription has expired.
Measures to deal with the worsening health situation
The health situation linked to Covid-19 has led to the deprogramming of intervention in hospitals as well as the decline in consultations (excluding Covid) among general practitioners. A finding that worries health professionals and which has resulted in the implementation of new measures by the French Ministry of Health. The authorities thus published this Sunday, November 8, 2020, a decree providing for new measures “due to the worsening health situation linked to Covid-19 and the reestablishment of confinement”.
The authorities explained that these new measures aim to “preserve the health of the people concerned, while reducing the demands on the health system, such as certain consultations or non-urgent acts”. In other words, they must make it possible to help “protect healthcare professionals and their patients from infection” and “adapt to the risk of unavailability of healthcare professionals in the management of the crisis”.
Facilitate drug delivery
In order to prevent interruptions in treatment or care prejudicial to the health of patients, the text provides for authorizing nurses to “continue the care they provide to patients with a stabilized chronic pathology beyond the date of withdrawal. validity of the prescription ”. At the same time, the decree now allows pharmacies, service providers or equipment distributors to dispense drugs or services when a renewable prescription has expired.
Measures on contraception
The decree of November 8, 2020 also addressed the issue of contraception. Indeed, to avoid the interruption of contraceptive treatments, the text provides for facilitating the delivery of the necessary products. Likewise, “the practical modalities for carrying out voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion) by medication outside a health establishment by doctors and midwives” have already been relaxed. In other words, medication can be taken via a telemedicine consultation, with “dispensing in the dispensary pharmacy” of the necessary products.
