Latvia expands reimbursement for various medications starting October 1

Starting October 1, Latvia will expand the reimbursement of various medications and medical devices. Zinta Rugāja, Deputy Director of the Medicines and Medical Devices Department at the National Health Service (NVD), presented these updates to the Saeima's Public Health Subcommission.

Key changes include full reimbursement for capecitabine in all solid tumor localizations and the availability of spinal muscular atrophy therapy for adults. For patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, adalimumab will be available as a first-choice biological therapy, which is also intended for sarcoidosis cases.

Family doctors will see an expanded role, as they will be able to initiate therapy for dementia, atrial fibrillation and planning using three new generations of oral anticoagulants, and diabetes treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists. This shift aims to accelerate treatment starts and reduce the need for specialist visits solely for prescriptions.

The NVD has added 12 new drug molecules and medical devices to the reimbursement list, providing new options for patients with lympholeukosis, cystic fibrosis, chronic hepatitis C, neuroblastoma, Alagille syndrome, neurofibromatosis, and epilepsy. New fixed-dose combinations have also been included in cardiology.