How long will free face masks be available in France?

People living in France who suffer from chronic long-term illnesses that put them 鈥渁t very high risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid-19鈥� currently have the right to free face masks. But for how much longer?

Joanna York

Published Thursday 23 July 2020 - 13:39 Modified Thursday 23 July 2020 - 13:39

The legal right to free face masks, for those eligible, has been in place since deconfinement began in France on May 11. It states that those with a medical prescription can claim up to 10 free face masks per week from pharmacies.

The includes people aged 65 and over, pregnant women in their third trimester, and people with long-term chronic illnesses.

Such illnesses may include people with diabetes, obesity, heart problems, respiratory problems, cancer, sickle cell syndrome, or stage B cirrhosis of the liver, as well as patients undergoing dialysis and those with immunodeficiency.

How long will free masks be available?

Legally, the right to free masks for those eligible should have stopped when France came out of its state of health emergency on July 10.

However when France鈥檚 state of health emergency ended a new law was introduced protecting the rights of those 鈥渁t risk鈥� to free masks.

Unless it is challenged this law should remain in place until October 30, 2020, meaning free masks will be available in pharmacies, on prescription, until this date for those eligible.

Currently France鈥檚 social security provider la Direction de la S茅curit茅 Sociale has only that free masks will be available until 鈥渁t least鈥� August 31, 2020.

At this point, it has said, the law will be 鈥渞e-examined according to how the situation has evolved鈥�.

Plans for law change emerging

Pierre B茅guerie, president of national pharmacy body l鈥橭rdre National des Pharmaciens, has confirmed that plans to change the law on free face masks are underway.

He told : 鈥淎 discussion with the health minister is ongoing to plan a pathway towards the end of [free] mask distribution.鈥�

While no official decision has been taken, Mr B茅guerie said this could mean that rather than being given for free in pharmacies, masks would be instead be 鈥渞eimbursed [by the State] when they are prescribed by a doctor鈥�.

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