While health insurance currently reimburses up to 150 euros per year for anti-smoking treatments, the government has just announced that they will gradually be reimbursed like any drug. The prevention component of the government's health strategy unveiled on Monday, March 26, however, does not take electronic cigarettes into account.
REIMBURSEMENT OF ANTI-TOBACCO TREATMENTS!
Anti-smoking treatments will gradually be reimbursed like any drug, instead of the package of 150 euros per year that currently exists, according to the prevention component of the government's health strategy unveiled on Monday March 26.
The goal : " remove the brakes linked to the systematic advance of costs Driven by the package, to encourage more smokers to quit. " This movement is progressive because it involves a laboratory approach. A first product will be registered as of this week to refund“, According to the plan.
This support will replace the fixed price of 150 euros per year which currently covers nicotine substitutes (patches, gums, lozenges, inhalers, etc.) prescribed by prescription.
REFUND THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE? A FALSE GOOD IDEA " !
While it is not yet clear at what rate these treatments will be reimbursed, we know that the first product affected by this measure will be the generic Nicorette chewing gum, Nicotine EG (manufactured by EG Labo), as of this Wednesday. Nicorette (Johnson & Johnson), Nicopass (Pierre Fabre), Nicotinell (GSK) and Niquitin (Omega Pharma) are expected to follow.
A question then arises: why not imagine that the “vape”, which we know is effective in combating smoking, is not also covered by health insurance?
« False idea In essence answer the promoters of vaping, and specialists in tobacco. " The idea had already germinated, in 2013 at the level of a European directive which wanted to entrust the vaping market to pharmaceutical pharmacies., remember Jacques Le Houezec, tobacco expert and public health advisor. But there had been an outcry, because we think precisely that we should not medicalize the approach of the vape ».
For the specialist, 80% of ex-smokers stop smoking without medical help, simply by themselves, and the vast majority, the vape suits them. " For this target, it is the ideal alternative, the most effective "Continues Jacques Le Houezec.
« If vaping works so well to quit smoking, it is precisely because it is associated with pleasure., develops the pulmonologist Bertrand Dautzenberg. But it is not at all the same approach to go to a pharmacy to buy an anti-smoking drug, as to go to choose your electronic cigarette and its flavors in store. ».
Nevertheless, for this professor of medicine, often both are complementary: " There are people who vape, but supplement with patches when they are on a plane, for example, or at the very beginning of their smoking cessation. We must not oppose the different solutions »
Source : Huffingtonpost.fr/ - Letelegramme.fr/
