Definition
With the wording "group A drugs" we want to indicate the set of all those drugs whose price can be reimbursed by the National Health System (or SSN).
Dispensation
As mentioned, group A drugs can be dispensed at the expense of the national health system only and exclusively upon presentation of the appropriate 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 prescription in almost all regions of Italy.
Class A drugs are therefore free, although - depending on the regulations in force in each region - in some cases, a ticket may be paid, which must be made by the patient himself.
For example, in the event that the doctor prescribes a certain active ingredient of which both the "branded" medicinal product and the generic drug are available, the patient can decide whether to purchase the generic drug fully reimbursed by the NHS, or whether to purchase the "branded" drug by paying the price difference (ticket).
What are Tier A drugs?
All those medicines considered essential belong to the category of group A drugs, in addition to those used for the treatment of chronic diseases, such as, for example, some types of antibiotics or some drugs used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
All group A drugs are listed and sorted in alphabetical order by active ingredient in tables that are drawn up and constantly updated by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA); click here to view them.
