Paris
France’s Health Ministry announced last week that it will no longer cover the cost of nearly a quarter of the nation’s most frequently prescribed drugs because they have “little or no recognized medical effect.” The French pop three times as many pills as the Germans or British, and many of their medicines target illnesses that do not exist in other countries. Many of the 900 drugs to be dropped from medical coverage are intended to combat a common French ailment known as la crise de foi, or liver trouble. In other countries, la crise is known as indigestion, and the only known cure is restraint at the dinner table.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.