One out of every three Bahamians suffers from chronic non-communicable diseases. These diseases are very costly to control and have a major impact on the quality of life of those affected. For these reasons, in 2009, The Bahamas Government enacted legislation to introduce the National Prescription Drug Plan (NPDP). The key goals of this plan are:
The Plan commenced on September 20, 2010 and provides prescriptions free-of-charge to affected persons in the first and second phases and at minimal costs in later phases. The list of diseases covered includes Arthritis, Asthma, Breast Cancer, Diabetes, Glaucoma, High Cholesterol, Hypertension, Ischaemic Heart Disease, Major Depression, Prostate Cancer and Psychosis. The first phase of the National Prescription Drug Plan covered:
who have been diagnosed with one or more of the chronic conditions covered under the Plan. The second phase of the Plan commenced on May 9, 2011 and coverage was extended to include the following groups:
who have been diagnosed with one or more of the chronic conditions covered under the Plan. In future phases, the Plan will cover employed and self-employed persons and voluntarily insured contributors.