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According to a decree published in the Official Journal on April 23, the contrast products used in certain examinations such as MRIs and CT scans will now be provided by the radiologist, and no longer to be collected in the pharmacy.
Those who have already had to undergo a CT scan or an MRI using a contrast product know this: until now, the patient had to pick up his contrast product from a pharmacy before going to the examination. According to a decree published in the Official Journal on April 23, this constraint should change: radiologists will provide the contrast product themselves.
Why this change?
This change of organization is due to the reimbursement provided for in the framework of the national convention linking private doctors and Health Insurance. Since 2019, the services of self-employed radiologists for carrying out MRI and computed tomography (scanner) examinations have been reimbursed on the basis of their acts and a “technical flat rate” which takes into account the amortization of all the costs of use and consumables used. But until now, contrast agents were excluded from these consumables. Last winter, the social security financing law for 2023 included the possibility of including the purchase of contrast products in the technical package of the new medical convention. It is this possibility that is recorded today.
A change from next July
For their MRI or computed tomography examinations, patients will no longer have to obtain contrast products from pharmacies. They will be made available directly by independent radiologists. The entry into force of this measure is set for July 1, 2023, for contrast products used for MRI examinations (gadolinium salts); and on March 1, 2024, for contrast products used for computed tomography examinations (iodine or barium products).