Parkinson’s disease is one of the most severe neurological disorders, lasting 20-25 years and leading to complete immobility in the final stage, writes Diena.
Since medications are reimbursed at 75%, the amount that patients must pay out of pocket reaches 300-600 euros per month. The Latvian Society of Movement Disorders calls on the government to fully fund medications for patients with this disease and to implement deep brain stimulation therapy.
Currently, Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed in approximately 4,000 people in Latvia, and levodopa is primarily used for their treatment - a short-acting drug that poorly alleviates symptoms caused by dopamine deficiency: swallowing, breathing, and balance disorders. As the disease progresses, the effectiveness of the medications decreases, and they must be taken 6-12 times a day. Periods when patients cannot move and perform daily activities become more frequent.
At present, modern treatment for complicated disease progression is unavailable in Latvia: the latest medications are not included in the list of state-reimbursed drugs, and pump therapy and deep brain stimulation are lacking. This was reported by the chairwoman of the Latvian Society of Movement Disorders, neurologist Ligita Smeltere, at a meeting of the Saeima subcommittee on public health.
She emphasized that Latvia is in the worst situation among the Baltic states regarding Parkinson’s disease treatment. In Estonia and Lithuania, medications are fully reimbursed, and other treatment methods are funded, while in Latvia, patients face significant expenses. In Estonia, deep brain stimulation is at least partially reimbursed, whereas in Latvia it was excluded from the Cabinet of Ministers' regulations in 2018.
"We are 20 years behind Europe. In terms of access to modern medications, we are in the worst position in the Baltics. It is necessary to help these patients, as the capabilities of doctors are exhausted," Smeltere emphasized, adding that broader state support would help maintain the employability and functional abilities of people with Parkinson’s disease, and would provide patients in the middle stage of the disease with an additional five to ten quality years of life.
