The public should be aware that the Medication Assistance Fund (MAF and MAF Plus) is readily available for non-standard drugs prescribed by public healthcare institutions.

These schemes are entirely different from MediFund and provide heavy subsidies for drugs which can be fairly costly, covering as much as 85 per cent of the drugs' costs.

To be eligible, an applicant needs to possess either the Pioneer Generation or Community Health Assist Scheme cards, and the drugs must be listed within the schemes.

When in doubt, one can approach relevant healthcare workers to clarify and advise doctors to prescribe the applicable drugs once approved.

I had an unfortunate experience in which the availability of MAF was not communicated despite earlier clarifications, a lapse which was only realised after months of asking.

Information was still not forthcoming after corrective measures were taken. I sincerely hope this is a one-off case.

The general public needs to understand the various medical subsidies available, and public healthcare institutions should ensure that their staff is equipped with the relevant knowledge to advise patients accordingly.

Tham Zhi Qian