Cholesterol Management Drug Being Evaluated

MOH’s reply

Cholesterol management drug being evaluated

We thank Mr Chew Chee Weng for his suggestion (Subsidise cholesterol drug - a last-resort treatment for some, Dec 6).

To keep healthcare affordable for Singaporeans, the Ministry of Health (MOH) provides subsidies for drugs that are clinically-and cost-effective.

Patients prescribed standard drugs under the Standard Drug List will receive subsidies of between 50 per cent and 75 per cent, depending on their means-test status.

Those assessed by their doctors to require non-standard drugs that are clinically necessary and appropriate for treatment may also receive subsidies under the Medication Assistance Fund.

Drugs that treat hyperlipidemia and lower cholesterol, such as statins and ezetimibe, are subsidised.

As hyperlipidemia is one of 20 conditions under the chronic disease management programme, patients can also tap their MediSave to pay for outpatient treatment of hyperlipidemia.

MOH regularly reviews the subsidised standard and non-standard drugs to ensure that the list remains relevant to changes in local population needs, medical practice, and evidence on clinical and cost effectiveness.

Praluent is a relatively new drug, and is still under evaluation. MOH will consider it for inclusion in the subsidised drugs list should it be evaluated to be clinically-and cost-effective.

Mr Chan Beng Seng
Group Director, Subvention
Ministry of Health

Forum Letter

The Straits Times, 6 December 2019

Subsidise cholesterol drug - a last-resort treatment for some
 
Dr Quek Koh Choon wrote about the reluctance of patients to take statins due to false reports on the Internet (Heart patients refusing to take statins a troubling trend, Nov 30).

While it may be true that statins can help to lower unhealthy lipids and hopefully lower the risk of heart attacks and deaths, not everyone can be treated with statins.

I would like to highlight cases of those suffering from familial hyperlipidemia, where even the maximum safe dosage and combinations fail to bring cholesterol levels down to a normal level.

There is a fairly new drug in the market, a self-injection drug called Praluent, which can bring abnormal levels of lipids down to fairly normal levels within three months, when all else fails.

I have tried this medication, thanks to my doctor at the Singapore General Hospital, who gave me free samples, and it has brought my lipids down from very high levels to near normal.

Unfortunately, the cost of $281 per injection deters me from continuing. Could the Government consider subsiding this drug so that patients need not resort to stents later?

Chew Chee Weng