Band H drugs

Definition and Dispensation

H-band drugs are those drugs whose use - except in special cases - must be limited to the hospital or similar facilities.

However, in some cases, certain H-band drugs used in the treatment of serious and / or rare pathologies can be dispensed from the hospital pharmacy or by the competent ASL, to be used in a hospital setting, according to the provisions of the Regions and Provinces Autonomous.

The current classification of medicines - carried out according to the supply and reimbursement regime - identifies in the H-band drugs the set of all those drugs whose cost is borne by the National Health System (SSN), on condition that they are used exclusively in hospital or similar facilities.

Therefore, as a rule, these drugs could not be sold in simple pharmacies open to the public, except in particular cases defined by current legislation.

To be more precise, H-band drugs can be divided into the following groups:

• H-band drugs classified as OSP : based on Legislative Decree 219/06, art. 92, are classified as OSP all those drugs "usable only and exclusively in a hospital environment which due to their pharmacological characteristics, innovativeness, method of administration or for other reasons of protection of public health, cannot be used in conditions of sufficient safety to outside of hospital facilities ".
• H-band drugs classified as RR (ie dispensable with repeatable medical prescription), RNR (ie dispensable with non-repeatable medical prescription), RRL and RNRL (ie dispensable with restrictive medical prescription, respectively, repeatable and non-repeatable. In this case, the this medicine can only be prescribed by hospital or specialist centers), RMS (ie dispensable with a special medical prescription), or as USPL (ie, medicines subject to a limited medical prescription that can only be used by identified specialists, according to the provisions of the Regions or Autonomous Provinces).

Recapitulating, on the basis of this last classification, the H-band drugs not classified as PSO by Legislative Decree 219/06, art. 92, can be dispensed - for a fee and without reimbursement by the NHS - within the territorial pharmacies open to the public, of course, upon presentation of the specific prescription prescribed by current legislation.

What are the H-band medications?

The drugs belonging to the class of H-band drugs are numerous and in continuous evolution.

All H-band drugs are listed - in alphabetical order by active principle or by trade name - in special tables prepared by the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA); click here to view them.

These tables are constantly updated and report various data regarding each drug, such as the active ingredient contained in it, the dosage, the retail price and the number of Marketing Authorization (AIC).