The Ministry of Health through the Directorate General of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices continues to improve access to drug services for the Reverse Referral Program (DRP), one of which is through the implementation of the Pilot Project to Increase Access to DRP Drug Services in North Sumatra Province, Bengkulu and Yogyakarta Special Region. This Pilot Project series has been implemented since January 2024, from the implementation in North Sumatra, positive results were obtained in the form of increased cooperation between Puskesmas and Pharmacies in terms of DRR drug services.

To increase the commitment of this collaboration, the Directorate General of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices held a “Signing of MoU on Drug Services for the Reverse Referral Program” in Medan on July 12, 2024. A total of 82 MoUs between 45 Puskesmas and 6 PRB Pharmacies were signed, of which 33 Puskesmas signed MoUs with 2 PRB Pharmacies under the Multiple Collaboration Model cooperation scheme.

The signing of the MoU was witnessed by the Director General of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, L. Rizka Andalucia, who was accompanied by leaders within the Directorate General of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, including Director of Medical Device Production and Distribution Dede Mulyadi, Director of Pharmaceutical Production and Distribution Dita Novianti Sugandi and Director of Pharmaceutical Management and Services Agusdini Banun Saptaningsih.

In addition to the signing of the MoU, the meeting also increased the participants' understanding of the implementation of the mutual referral program in the first-level health service facilities. The information material was delivered by several resource persons who were expected to provide deeper insight into the implementation of this program.

In his remarks, Director General Rizka said that in an effort to improve the quality of health services, especially to provide easy access for patients with chronic diseases, the Ministry of Health seeks to optimize the implementation of the Reverse Referral Program (PRB) through cooperation from various parties.

Rizka explained that the Reverse Referral Program (PRB) is a health service program for National Health Insurance (JKN) participants who suffer from chronic diseases with stable conditions and still require long-term treatment on referral recommendations from specialists. This program aims to improve the quality of health services and facilitate access for chronic patients to get the health services they need.

Therefore, Rizka continued, one of the efforts in increasing access to DRR drug services at First Level Health Facilities (FKTP) is to encourage all Puskesmas in Indonesia to implement DRR drug services. This service can be carried out either by the Puskesmas Pharmacy Room directly or in collaboration with DRR pharmacies, both independent pharmacies and group pharmacies. “The mechanism of cooperation between PHC centers and DRR pharmacies in referral services can be carried out with several models, including cooperation with DRR pharmacies, the number of which is preferably more than one. This collaboration can be carried out with an inter-regional approach, both at the sub-district level and at the Regency / City level,” said Rizka.

Furthermore, Rizka said “The Ministry of Health will continue to make efforts to provide easy access to health services for patients with chronic diseases, especially to optimize the implementation of the Reverse Referral Program. We will also continue to monitor the availability of DRR drugs in coordination with the Provincial / Regency / City Health Office and BPJS Health. Hopefully in the future, services for patients of the Reverse Referral Program can be more optimal and can improve the quality of health services,” concluded Rizka.