Throughout January 2025, several concrete measures modifying the pharmaceutical practice will come into force. Here is the schedule.
Between new dispensing rules for antiepileptic drugs, increased remuneration and new missions being put in place, January 2025 promises to be full of new developments.
Since January 1: new vaccination obligations for infants
Vaccinations against meningococcal ACWY and B infections become compulsory for children under 2 years of age, due to a “worrying resurgence” of cases for several years, according to the Directorate General of Health (DGS). Vaccination can be carried out by general practitioners, pediatricians, midwives and, on medical prescription, by nurses.
January 6: tightening of delivery rules for valproate, topiramate and carbamazepine
For adolescents and men likely to have children, initiation of treatment with valproate and its derivatives is now reserved for neurologists, psychiatrists or pediatricians. In addition, women and men likely to have children treated with valproate must present with their prescription and each time it is dispensed, a certificate of shared information signed by the patient and the prescriber each year. An annual certificate of shared information is also required for girls and women treated with carbamazepine or topiramate. Finally, the initial annual prescription of topiramate is extended to competent “pain” doctors in the prevention of migraine in patients of childbearing age using highly effective contraception.
For patients currently undergoing treatment, these measures will apply upon expiration of the annual care agreement form in force with valproate and topiramate, or from June 30 in other cases.
January 8: pharmaceutical agreement remuneration increases apply
The conventional measures enacted in June 2024 and which result in additional expenses for health insurance come into force 6 months after their publication in the “Official Journal”, i.e. on January 8:
– The dispensing fee for the prescription increases by 10 cents and goes from 0.51 euros including tax to 0.61 including tax;
– Guards are better paid with on-call compensation which increases from 190 euros including tax to 200 euros including tax. At night, deep night hours (from midnight to 6 a.m.) are finally considered and paid 20 euros including tax. The periods from 8 p.m. to midnight and from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. increase from 8 euros including tax to 10 euros including tax. Guards on Sundays and during public holidays are revalued by 1 euro, now at 6 euros including tax;
– The new invoicing methods for support interviews come into force, with payment by the act and no longer by the year. The prices for shared medication assessments (BPM) are increased: + 5 euros in year 1 (at 65 euros including tax) and a single price of 30 euros including tax in year 2, whether or not there is a change in treatment. An OSMOSE letter will be sent to pharmacies at the beginning of the month to transmit the procedure codes and their prices. On the health insurance side, we assure that “no maintenance will not be lost, with invoicing in retrospect interviews already carried out.
January 8: new short opioid interviews
Also provided for in amendment No. 1 to the pharmaceutical agreement signed in June 2024, opioid support in the form of a short interview carried out during the second delivery of tramadol or codeine can start from January 8, even if “we are still waiting for the implementation methods, the deed codes and the accompanying documents”, explains Guillaume Racle, vice-president of the Union of Community Pharmacists’ Unions (USPO). Including a memo designed by health insurance and an interview sheet to be completed, kept and recorded in the patient’s DMP and sent via secure messaging to the attending physician. This new interview will be paid 5 euros including tax.
During January
This month, Prescription support is being put in place for doctors. “A period of flexibility of 3 months will be left after the entry into force of the system to allow health professionals to make it their own and patients to return to consult their doctors to check their treatments and have a prescription for a therapeutic alternative if need “, provides health insurance.
In addition, version 2 of RéclaPS and ASAFO must be offered at the beginning of January. Medicare Claims Tracker Should Allow File Attachments “up to 3 maximum, for a maximum total weight of 5 MB”, specifies the paying agency. “But we don’t know if we need to re-enter the information,” asks Guillaume Racle. As for ASAFO, “the tool is becoming more ergonomic but we are far from interoperability”tackles the USPO representative.
Finally, the government has until January 8 to decide on the texts concerning fragile territories, appealed to the Council of State by the USPO.
Substitution biosimilaire, e-prescription: ignition delay
The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) had until December 31, 2024 to constitute the list of biosimilars that could be substituted by the community pharmacist as well as the substitution methods, substitution authorizations which had to be confirmed by the Ministry of Health with the publication of legal texts. However, to date, the ANSM has only ruled on half of the biosimilar groups. To date, the pharmacist can only substitute in three biosimilar groups: filgrastim (Neupogen), pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) and ranibizumab (Lucentis).
Finally, expected at least since the 2020 ordinance, thee-prescription was to come into force no later than December 31, 2024 for all prescriptions for health products and services. She will be late. As of November 30, 2024, 46% of pharmacies and 30% of doctors were ready and had started using the process. In fact, the basic indicator of the use ofe-requirement to obtain the “Digital and access to care” ROSP for 2024 is neutralized.
