The National Health Care Institute has advised the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) to reimburse enalapril (Aqumeldi®) from the basic healthcare package. This medicine can be used for babies and children with heart failure. In heart failure, the heart pumps the blood less well. If the Minister adopts our advice, enalapril will be included in the Medicine Reimbursement System (GVS). Only then will this medicinal product be reimbursed from the healthcare insurer's basic healthcare package.
Current state of affairs: advisory report sent to the Minister
The National Health Care Institute has sent this advisory report to the Minister of VWS. The Minister makes the final decision whether or not to reimburse the medicinal product from the basic healthcare package.
Enalapril is intended for babies and children with heart failure
Enalapril is the active substance. The brand name is Aqumeldi®. The medicine is a tablet that dissolves quickly in the mouth, without the need for water to swallow it. These tablets are specifically for babies and children. Enalapril is already being used in practice in adults and children with heart failure.
The medicine can be used in babies and children with heart failure. In heart failure, the heart stops pumping properly. The heart still works, but it pumps the blood around less vigorously. This reduces the oxygen supply to organs and muscles and can lead to symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid fatigue and fluid retention, leading to swollen ankles, feet or legs. It may also cause babies with heart failure to drink more slowly or to stop drinking. And it can also lead to growth retardation in this category of patients. ACE inhibitors are one component of heart failure treatment. ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure. The heart will then have to work less hard to pump the blood around. Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor.
National Health Care Institute advice on the reimbursement of enalapril (Aqumeldi®)
The National Health Care Institute advises the Minister of VWS to reimburse enalapril (Aqumeldi®) from the basic healthcare package. The advice is to include the medicinal product in Annex 1B of the GVS.
For more information on the GVS and the Lists 1A, 1B and 2, see page ‘Reimbursement of outpatient medicines’.
More information or questions?
If you have any questions about this advice, please send your question to the National Health Care Institute via warcg@zinl.nl. If you have questions about the reimbursement of a medicinal product, the personal expenses or whether you should pay a contribution, please ask your health insurance provider.
How did the advice come about?
The Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) asks the National Health Care Institute to carry out an assessment. The Minister makes the final decision whether or not to reimburse the medicinal product from the basic healthcare package.
Explanation about the reimbursement of medicinal products
Enalapril is an extramural medicinal product. ‘Extramural’ means medicines for home use that can be obtained at the pharmacy with a prescription from a physician. They are only reimbursed from the basic healthcare package if they are listed in the GVS.