Health trends

NHF list extended

Patients enrolled with the National Health Fund (NHF) will now be able to obtain benefits for five new active pharmaceutical ingredients that treat eight of the 15 chronic illnesses on the individual benefits programme . The new additions are Deflazacort, Lamotrigine, Tramadol, Zinc Hyaluronate and Diosmin. Deflazacort, is used for the treatment of asthma and arthritis; Lamotrigine for epilepsy and major depression; Tramadol, which is now listed under arthritis and is an adjunct for breast and prostate cancer; Zinc Hyaluronate is used for the treatment of vascular disease and is an adjunct for diabetes; and Diosmin is now listed under vascular disease.

Three new generic labels have also been added to the NHF individual benefits programme: Flunil (Fluoxetine) capsules used to treat major depression; Risperidone-PMS (Risperidone) also for the treatment of major depression and psychosis; and Bical (Bicalutamide) tablet used for the treatment of prostate cancer. The NHF has also increased the subsidies for insulin analogues by 300 per cent.

Source: The National Health Fund

FAMPLAN's HIV/AIDS testing

A quality of care survey conducted at the Beth Jacobs Clinic in June 2010 revealed that most clients were referred by either a friend or a relative for services. It is against this background that FAMPLAN Jamaica launched the 'Bring a friend and show how much you care' campaign at the Beth Jacobs Clinic in October 2010.

This campaign is aimed at persons bringing a friend or relative to access one of four key services: a Pap smear, contraceptive method, and HIV testing or child-adult immunisation. The friend referring will then receive a FAMPLAN gift bag as an incentive. As it approaches the end of the campaign, and with the recent World AIDS Day observation, FAMPLAN Jamaica is encouraging persons to do their HIV tests and they will also receive a gift bag.

Source: FAMPLAN Jamaica