Definition
With the wording " medicines of band A " we want to indicate the set of all those medicines whose price can be reimbursed by the National Health System (or SSN).
Dispensation
As mentioned, the drugs of category A can be dispensed to the national health system only and exclusively upon presentation of the specific medical prescription.
Until recently, doctors prescribed the aforementioned drugs on the so-called "red recipe", today (August 2016) completely replaced by the well-known and discussed electronic recipe in almost all regions of Italy.
The A-range drugs are therefore free, even if - depending on the regulations in force in each region - in some cases a ticket can be paid, which must be paid by the same patient.
For example, if the doctor prescribes a specific active ingredient of which both the "branded" medicine and the generic drug are available, the patient can decide whether to buy the generic drug totally reimbursed by the NHS, or whether to buy the "brand" drug paying the price difference (ticket).
What are the band A drugs?
All the medicines considered essential belong to the category of band A drugs, in addition to those assigned to the treatment of chronic diseases, such as, for example, some types of antibiotics or some drugs used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
All the drugs of category A are reported and sorted in alphabetical order by active principle in tables that are prepared and constantly updated by the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA); click here to view them.
