Providing the chronically ill with medications in Bulgaria

Abstract

“Drug regulation” is the internationally accepted term for the set of activities designed to provide the public with qualitative, efficient and safe medications. In Bulgaria, a number of laws and regulations are in place. The primary tool for providing the chronically ill with medications is the so called positive medication list. The aim of this study was to describe the positive and negative aspects of the acting drug regulation model. Materials and Methods: A form was constructed with information for conducting the focus groups and included a written informed consent. The selection of the participants was performed by providers and users of medical care. The audio recordings were transcribed, and three step analyses were performed. Results: The focus group discussions included two main topics - the policies for medication reimbursement for the chronically ill and the expense of medications. As a whole, the system was determined to be extremely bureaucratic. One of the most important limitations of the current model is the lack of individualization for treating particular patients with a chronic disease. Conclusions: The general attitude of the participants was that there are multiple disadvantages of the current policy for providing medications to the chronically ill and that change is necessary.