According the Prescrire, a French medical journal, drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease have been delisted in France and will no longer be reimbursed by the national health insurance system.
According to the article, the National Authority for Health (HAS) has previously issued guidance recommended treatments including donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine and memantine. A review in 2016 of the harm-benefit balance of these treatments by France's Pharmacoeconomic Committee resulted in HAS acknowledging that these drugs have no place in the management of Alzheimer's disease.
Current guidance from NICE still recommends these treatments as options along with a range of other interventions to promote wellbeing and functional ability.
Action: Clinicians should continue to follow current NICE guidance however this move represents an interesting move away from medication in favour of supportive strategies for daily living that includes assistance for caregivers and family members.