Association 'Women without Osteoporosis'
Osteoporosis patients’ rights in Bulgaria: European perspectives
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| The Association “Women Without Osteoporosis” reported the alarming news that the annual expenses for treatment of hip fractures exceed more than ten times the funds that would be necessary for the reimbursement of osteoporosis treatment. |
A Round Table Meeting on the theme «Osteoporosis patients’ rights in Bulgaria: European perspectives» was organized by the Association “Women without Osteoporosis”. It brought together patients, stakeholders, politicians and doctors to discussion the problems of osteoporosis patients’ access to diagnosis and treatment in the light of European Charter of patients’ rights”. in Bulgaria.
The event was supported by the European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group and Bulgarian members of the European Parliament.
The Co-chair of the European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group Angelika Niebler MEP, Germany sent an address to the participants, in which she stated: “It is important to increase awareness of osteoporosis not only among the public but also among the politicians of the EU and on a national level. And this is one of the tasks of the European Parliament’s Osteoporosis Interest Group: To take action on a European level to fight this illness and to develop effective strategies for its prevention. Therefore, it is very important for policy makers and osteoporosis experts to work together on national and EU levels in order to find practical solutions for patients suffering from osteoporosis.”
A congratulatory letter sent by Marusya Lyubcheva, MEP, Bulgaria, stated:
“Certainly, successful health politics can be managed only and solely through cooperation of the efforts of institutions and organizations, whose moral and working principles are based on the care for peoples’ health. The understanding for joint responsibility leads to the solidarity concerning the resources for the healthcare. It is difficult to prioritize certain diseases in the healthcare system, but it is a fact that the disease to which you, honored members of Association “Women without osteoporosis”, have devoted your activity is one of high social importance. Supporting the total state politics, I support your extremely important and meaningful activity as well, because in my opinion you are a doing important work in transmitting information to all citizens needing help and assistance.”
Prof. Vladko Panayotov, MEP, Bulgaria, also sent a congratulatory letter to the participants in the Round Table, in which he mentioned:
“As a member of European Parliament and member of the Commission of Environment, Public Health and Food Safety”, I would like to express the great importance, which I render to the ways and measures for osteoporosis prevention and to the European Charts of Patients’ Rights as a basic element ensuring the protection of patient rights...The patients’ rights are expression of human rights, but by no means representing a separate category; the patients’ rights are the expression of the goodwill that no patient is to be considered as different and, above all, isolated from society. The efficiency of the individual rights will depend in great extent on the future united actions in support of this approach. Therefore, it is necessary to work for implementation of health democracy, suggesting united participation of the recipients and their representatives in different places of the system.”
During the work of the Round Table Meeting, the Association “Women without osteoporosis” reported the alarming news that the annual expenses for treatment of hip fractures, which are one of the consequences of osteoporosis, exceed 10 millions BGN, while the expenses for reimbursement of osteoporosis treatment are only 1,5 million BGN per year. As a consequence of the high personal financial burden, it is estimated that only 2,5% of people needing osteoporosis treatment actually receive it.
The Initiative Committee of Osteoporosis Patients formed at the end of last year submitted its request to the participants:
- Improve the reimbursement of osteoporosis treatment to 75% for patients with osteoporosis and to 100% for patients with one or more osteoporotic fractures;
- Reimbursement of the osteodensitometry testing – 75% for osteoporosis patients and 100% for patients with osteoporotic fractures
- Dispensarisation* for osteoporosis patients
- Improve the clinical path for the osteoporosis treatment in the hospitals for rehabilitation.
Dr. med. Victoria Chobanova from the Board of National Society of General Practitioners in Bulgaria presented the main priorities of the Society for improvement of the information package for general practitioners regarding preventive measures, identifying osteoporosis risk groups as well as the active collaboration with the branches of Association “Women without osteoporosis” in the country.
The accent of the event was the report “Access of osteoporosis patients to diagnosis and treatment in Bulgaria” by Dr.med. Plamen Popivanov ,endocrinologist, who made a critical analysis of the access of osteoporosis patients in the light of the Eight recommendations of European Commission from the report “Report on Osteoporosis in the European Community – Action for Prevention” , issued in 1998.
Patients, physicians, corporative representatives and journalists expressed opinions and made statements during the event.
The discussion Round Table Meeting “Osteoporosis patients’ rights in Bulgaria: European perspectives” ended by issuing an official STATEMENT by the participants, as follows:
“Despite the fact that Bulgaria is among the countries recognizing osteoporosis as health priority through the launch of the 2006 National Program for Limitation of Osteoporosis, the low reimbursement of treatment and the restrictions in reimbursement of diagnostics still set barriers for people’s access to timely diagnostics and treatment before the first fracture. The care for rehabilitation of patients with osteoporosis fractures, their quality of life as well as social support for the immobilized and disabled osteoporosis patients is still far from the desired level.
That’s why, bearing in mind the 14 patients’ rights, stated in the European Charter of patients’ rights, we call for:
-The prevention, diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation of osteoporosis to become a real health and social policy with practical actions and results, being ensured with adequate resources for its detection and treatment.
For this purpose, it is necessary:
- To enhance the reimbursement level for diagnostics and treatment in order to achieve the level of the other members of EU. This will save costs for treatment in case of future fractures and prevent disability and untimely death;
- The care for osteoporosis patients and people at risk of osteoporosis to be included in the programs of political parties and the Parliament members to introduce corrections in the budget covering the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis patients;
- To improve the access of osteoporosis patients to timely prevention, diagnostics and treatment on regional levels;
- Social programs for support of patients with one or more osteoporosis fractures to be established and implemented on a municipal, district level and in governmental administration;
- To ensure possibilities for suitable sport activities for elderly people and risk groups aiming to improve physical strength and prevent falls.
* this is a concept specific to the Bulgarian health care system, re. improving the current system to allow follow-up of patients at city dispensaries/polyclinics during the year
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| Dr.Med. Victoria Chobanova of the National Society of General Practitioners in Bulgaria presented the initiatives for improvement of the pack with preventive activities of general practitioners regarding osteoporosis risk groups as well as the active collaboration with the branches of Association “Women without osteoporosis” in the country. |
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| Dr.med. Plamen Popivanov provided a critical analysis of osteoporosis patient access to medication in the light of the Eight recommendations of European Commission |
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| The printed materials devoted to the Third European Patients’ Rights Day: April 18, 2009 were presented to the participants during the Round Table |
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| Regional representatives of the Association “Women without Osteoporosis” reported the activity in the country. |
April 2, 2009
