Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Poland's largest opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS), has said it wants to initiate a vote of no confidence against Health Minister Bartosz Arłukowicz over an ongoing furore related to the implementation of a new law concerning reimbursement for prescription drugs.

“We believe that the health minister has lost all credibility as he is partly responsible for the current mess,” PiS MP Bolesław Piecha said during a press conference on Tuesday. The “mess” which the MP referred to concerns a new law that came into force on January 1 this year.

The law in question, which deals with prescriptions and medication reimbursement, has led to confusion among patients, pharmacists and doctors alike. According to the new legislation, doctors are obligated to verify and then note on any prescriptions they issue the level of reimbursement that the patient is entitled to.

Doctors say that thanks to the law they now have to deal with more paperwork and therefore have less time to treat patients. In protest, many are issuing prescriptions with an added note which says: “reimbursement to be decided by the NFZ” (National Health Fund). This note is very often not accepted by pharmacies.

As a result, many patients have to pay the full amount for medication that they should be getting at a reduced price.

Mr Piecha said that although Mr Arłukowicz has only been the health minister for several weeks, “accepting the post of health minister he knew what he was getting himself into.” The new regulations were prepared when the current Sejm speaker, Ewa Kopacz, was health minister.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) party, Leszek Miller, told journalists that Mr Arłukowicz has nothing to worry about.

“The request for a no-confidence vote against Mr Arłukowicz stands no chance in the Sejm. It is backed by Solidarity Poland and Palikot's Movement, but the Polish People's Party and SLD are against it … the only way to end this conflict is for Mr Arłukowicz to apologize and to quickly amend the act,” Mr Miller said.

The ruling Civic Platform party is also unlikely to vote in favor of the no confidence motion.

Izabela Depczyk