Oral contraception will soon be free for all women. The Price and Reimbursement Committee (CPR) of the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa) has in fact approved the decision to make the contraceptive pill free for women of all age groups, with a total cost for the state coffers estimated at about 140 million euros a year. The Quotidiano Sanità website anticipates it with an interview with the president of the Cpr of Aifa Giovanna Scroccaro. This is an issue that has been under the agency’s attention for some time.
Technical time was needed to “reach a complete evaluation” and the OK from the authority. The free pre-exposure prophylaxis against the HIV virus, the so-called Prep, has also been approved.
“We wanted to complete them before the expiry” of the mandate and the arrival of the reform of the Agency, expected for the summer, explained Scroccaro. To make contraception free in Italy “within 3 categories of contraceptive drugs, identified and divided by ‘generation’, the cheapest products were evaluated, which were made free. It was in particular the Technical Commission to divide the large number of contraceptives available to date by progestogen component, recommending that a certain number of products be made available free of charge for each different ‘generation’ of medicines, guaranteeing a certain overlap”, says the expert.
“We – continues Scroccaro – then analyzed those that had the lowest prices. The cost estimate for the State is around 140 million euros per year, but it is an important decision, which will make it possible to expand the number of women who today, perhaps, they considered the cost of these contraceptives too high and for this reason they did not use them”.
The president of the price and reimbursement committee of the Italian medicines agency points out that “there has always been little recourse to contraception in Italy and this may now change. However, it is difficult to say, since there has been no negotiation on prices for these products, that a 25 euro pill is better than those that cost 10 euros”.
But not everyone likes the news. “There is nothing more dangerous for women’s health than trivializing issues that impact on their skin, such as abortion, contraception, gender and prostitution. In this context, AIFA’s decision to make the contraceptive pill is equally serious and dangerous free”. This was stated by Maria Rachele Ruiu, member of the board of Pro Vita & Famiglia.
“How is it possible to reconcile the ‘free and free’ contraceptive pill – he asks – as a panacea for all ills, without emphasizing the serious physical and psychological side effects that can lead to depression and suicidal instincts?”.