Some patients to be exempted from additional drug payments

Patients with rare diseases and under prolonged treatment will be exempt from a new Japanese system that imposes additional out-of-pocket payments for prescription drugs that are similar to over-the-counter medicines, the health ministry indicated Wednesday.

On the day, the ministry presented a subcommittee of the Social Security Council with draft guidelines for operating the new system, which will be implemented next March.

According to the draft, these patients will include those who use moisturizers and steroid ointments long term to prevent a recurrence of atopic dermatitis.

Patients with cancers and designated intractable diseases will not be required to pay additional amounts for drugs to treat only these diseases.

Under the new system, patients will pay 25% of the prices of drugs that can be substituted with OTC drugs, as well as 10 to 30% of the remaining 75%, which will be subject to the public health insurance system.