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14 Feb 2011
Question No: 712
Question
Name of the Person: Mdm Halimah Yacob
To ask the Minister for Health (a) what criteria are used to determine whether or not a drug is to be listed on the standard list and how often is this list reviewed; and (b) whether the Ministry can consider higher subsidies for implants instead of the current fixed quantum for patients in the subsidized wards.
Reply
Reply From MOH
1. Our Standard Drug List (SDL) was modelled after the WHO Essential Drug List, with modifications to suit local disease profiles and practice. It consists of drugs assessed to be cost-effective and essential to the provision of medical care to all Singaporeans. The assessment is done objectively and professionally by the Drug Advisory Committee (DAC) which comprises a few senior doctors and chaired by the Director of Medical Services.
2. The DAC, with inputs from other clinicians, reviews the SDL on a yearly basis to take into account changes in clinical practice and advances in medical science. It considers three main factors when determining whether a drug should enter into the SDL:
a. First: whether the drug is essential for the treatment of medical conditions that are important causes of morbidity and mortality in Singapore;
b. Second: whether the drug offers a major improvement in terms of efficacy and effectiveness, as compared to existing standard drugs;
c. Third: whether there is sufficient evidence of long term safety and cost-benefits of the drug.
3. As for implants, we do not have an equivalent standard implant list. Instead, our general policy is to subsidise 50% of the cost of the implant prescribed by the doctor, subject to a cap of $500 per implant. The guideline to our doctors is to prescribe implants that are cost-effective. This is to save money for the subsidized patients.
4 We review the subsidy cap regularly to ensure that implants remain affordable. 80% of implants used in the public hospitals cost below $1,000 each. This explains the current subsidy cap.