Expensive medicines for chronic diseases could reach neighbourhood pharmacies

A major reform to Romania's healthcare system could improve elderly patients' access to vital medicines covered by national health programmes. The President of the National Health Insurance House (Casa Națională de Asigurări de Sănătate) is proposing the centralisation of procurement for these treatments, which would allow them to be dispensed through ordinary community pharmacies.

This change would have a significant impact on older people living with complex chronic conditions, who currently have to travel long distances to collect their medication from specialist hospitals. Many elderly patients — particularly those in rural areas or with limited mobility — face serious difficulties in accessing these essential treatments.

Centralised procurement could also resolve the problem of inadequate stock levels and delivery delays that frequently affect the availability of medicines. The current system, in which each hospital manages its own purchasing, creates inefficiencies and regional disparities in access to treatment.

For patients with conditions such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, or other serious illnesses requiring medicines from the national programmes, this reform would mean shorter waiting times and an end to repeated hospital visits solely to collect medication. Neighbourhood pharmacies could become distribution points for these costly treatments, considerably improving patients' quality of life.

Implementing the proposal would require a complete overhaul of the existing logistics system and the creation of an efficient distribution network. However, the benefits for elderly patients would be substantial: faster access to medication, reduced transport costs and time, and healthcare provision closer to home.