Changed criteria for single reimbursement for osteoporosis medicines other than alendronate

Conditional reimbursement for alendronate – for patients with low-energy hip fractures

In cooperation with the Reimbursement Committee, we have decided to grant alendronate-containing medicines general conditional reimbursement from 5 March 2012.

Reimbursement is conditional as it is reserved for patients with low-energy hip fractures. For any other patients who are treated with alendronate, the doctor must apply for single reimbursement, and the guiding criteria for single reimbursement remain unchanged for these patients.

Alendronate is used for the treatment of osteoporosis (brittle bones).

Other osteoporosis medicines

As of 5 March 2012, it will only be possible to obtain a single reimbursement grant for the other medicines used in osteoporosis treatment for patients that cannot use alendronate. However, this does not apply to the medicines Forsteo and Preotact, whose guiding criteria for single reimbursement are not changed. 

The criteria for single reimbursement are changed because of the large price gaps between the different medicines, where the reimbursement price of alendronate is by far the lowest.

For the very same reason, we will stop issuing new single reimbursement grants for the medicine Fosavance, which contains alendronate and vitamin D, from 5 March 2012.

Consumers who already have a single reimbursement grant for one of these other medicines can still use their grant.

Telephone grants – only for doctors

From 5 March 2012, the altered criteria for single reimbursement will imply that only doctors can obtain a single reimbursement grant on behalf of a patient for another osteoporosis medicine if they contact us by telephone.

If a patient already has a single reimbursement grant for alendronate, the doctor can call us to obtain a grant for another medicine if there is a reason why the patient can no longer use alendronate.

When we receive a call, we will assess whether there is adequate reason to grant single reimbursement for the requested medicine straight away, or whether we need to receive a new application.

We will inform the relevant scientific societies and pharmacies of these changes.

On the right-hand side, please find the Reimbursement Committee recommendation and the Danish Medicines Agency’s decision regarding alendronate (in Danish only) as well as the guiding criteria for single reimbursement that will apply from 5 March 2012.