The Board of Aifa did not give the green light to free birth control pills for all Italians. The board of directors led by George Palu he referred the matter to the commissions, the Cts, i.e. the technical-scientific one, and the Cpr, the one that deals with prices and reimbursements.
AIFA has received pressure, political and otherwise, against a long-awaited novelty and adopted in many European countries. Usually the board of directors approves what is indicated by the two commissions: this time it didn’t happen.
“We want the age groups of women who will get the pill for free”
“The Aifa Board of Directors has acknowledged that the agency’s advisory commissions have not yet elaborated precise indications on the age groups to which the contraceptive pill can be granted free of charge, on the methods of distribution and on the costs for the National Health System in the various scenarios of adoption of reimbursement”, is written in a press release. In reality, the commissions had given the green light for all women and it is not certain that they agree to indicate the categories, precisely because the universality and innovativeness of the measure would be lost. Yesterday there was a lot of nervousness among some members of the commissions.
Be that as it may, the members of the Board add: “For example, for all women of childbearing age, for women who are in economically disadvantaged conditions or for young women up to 19/26 years of age as occurs in some European countries and in the six regions companies that offer the contraceptive pill free of charge. The Board of Directors has therefore found that the essential elements for deliberation do not exist”. The Commissions will therefore have to say whether they intend to do like some Regions, Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna in primis, which pass the pill free of charge, in counseling centres, only to under 26s and women who have recently given birth or had an abortion. What is not understood is what will happen if the commissions say they do not want to change their decision. “As usual, the Board of Directors is ready to play its role and fully express its opinion as soon as it has the adequate preliminary investigation requested from the advisory Commissions”.
The economic question: “We will talk to ministries and regions”
Then there is the economic question. The measure would cost 140 million euros and the Board says it wants to talk to ministries and regions. “Furthermore, with these indications, the Council undertakes to activate a negotiating table with the supervisory ministries and the Conference of Regions”, the statement continues. Also in this case it is not clear why this operation is necessary, not always applied when other drugs become reimbursable.
The February letter from the Board of Directors
The Board of Aifa therefore takes time, the only thing possible at the moment not to approve the free pill. However, blocking everything is not possible, the same board of directors had written to the commissions in February: “Believing that these insights represent preparatory elements for starting a negotiation with the companies, the Holy Sees are invited to continue the fruitful discussion, also in the light of the reform that will affect the two Commissions and in order to carry forward the program for the inclusion of oral contraceptives in the handbook of the NHS”. In short, at least until three months ago for Palù the drugs were destined for reimbursement.
Palu’s sights
AIFA is waiting to be reformed, the two commissions will become one and the general manager will disappear, to remain only the president. Palù, close to the League, would love to be chosen and also for this reason he is not insensitive to the requests of the centre-right area. His problem is that he has turned 74 and cannot be nominated unless the draft reform changes. The microbiologist from Padua has recently become a No Vax hero for some statements in which he would seem to support the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine against Covid, which his own agency (and not only that) has always firmly denied.