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Swiss company Novartis initiates in Slovakia the establishing of the fund, which aims to support the innovations in pharmacy and medicine. Partnerships of private companies, academic and research community may contribute to the progress in research and development and to better using of sources with aim to help the patients. Given the importance of cooperation and partnerships the company has decided to initiate the establishing of the fund with aim to support the realisation of new ideas, which may significantly increase the quality of life.

Healthcare Surveillance Authority registers 187 341 applications for the change of health insurance company. Compared to last year, when Surveillance Authority registered 162 399 applications, of which 157 331 were accepted, the number increased. As was informed by the spokeswoman of the Surveillance Authority, Radoslava Muchová, currently they are considering the applications and afterwards they will inform the health insurance companies about the list of those, which can be confirmed as valid.

Pharmacy network Dr. Max answers to the effort of the Ministry of Health to cancel the loyalty systems with the advertising campaign, which promotes them. Dr. Max is doing this in the time, when cancelling of loyalty system was already approved by the Government. Company Mirakl, the provider of Dr. Max pharmacies, believes that members of Parliament will consider and evaluate the arguments for and against remaining of loyalty systems and loyalty systems will be maintained. They, however, see the sense in promotion, as even if the ban of loyalty systems is passed, it would only apply to the prescription pharmaceuticals. 

Pharmacy network Dr. Max falling into the investment group Penta, has a new CEO. Multi-national holding operating in Slovakia, Czech republic and Poland, will be led by Briton Jonathan Farrington. J. Farrington worked in pharmaceutical retail and wholesale. He has experience with managing of one of the biggest pharmaceutical and drugstore networks worldwide – Boots Alliance and also worked for companies Celesio and Mobil Oil (ExxonMobil).

Increased payments for hospitals were the main topic of negotiations between health insurance companies and the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia. As was told by the member of supervisory board of the Association, Marta Eckhardtová, they were discussing with insurance companies about increasing of payments for this and next year. Most of health insurance companies do not have financial resources for increasing of payments. Beside one health insurance company, all other insurance companies declared that they do not have money. As she continued, the only health insurance company, which has offered the increasing of payments even this year, was Union health insurance company.

State budget approved by Government is, according to the Association of Health Insurance Companies, actually unsustainable. President of the Association, Katarína Kafková, notes that concerns about real fulfilling raises especially because of the payments for state policyholders. Government, according to her, in the next year budget proposes the increasing of payment for state policyholder to 4.25%, but state will in real pay for its policyholders € 70 million less. The reason is that Government expects that number of state policyholders will next year decrease from current 3 350 000 to 3 150 000. 

About 200 nurses, midwives and laboratory technicians protested near the Constitutional Court. As was stated by the President of Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, Mária Lévyová, they are calling on Constitutional Court to immediately decide on constitutionality of the act, which has increased their salaries. Constitutionality of the act was after initiative of the chamber of doctors attacked on Constitutional Court by the General Attorney and Constitutional Court stopped the force of the act, until it will not decide on this issue.

Roosevelt faculty hospital and polyclinic in Banská Bystrica has started in the frame of the restructuring project to reduce its staff. Currently hospital agreed on termination of contract with 42 of more than 2 100 employees. Dismissals include 11 nurses. The rest of them are technicians and other healthcare professionals. None of the doctors was dismissed yet. In the frame of restructuring project based on the results of audits also the budget restriction in consumption and purchasing was implemented.

According to Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská, man can be never satisfied with the budget for healthcare system, as there never will be enough money in health care. She, however, considers the final proposal as a success. She managed to negotiate more money for this department through the payments for policyholders. Original proposal calculated on the rate on the level of 4%, finally it should be 4.25% from the tax base. 

Surcharges of patients for some pharmaceuticals, which have increased after implementing of so called clustering of pharmaceuticals, should decrease next year. Ministry of Health has submitted the proposal of the change of Decree, which adjusts the way of determination of particular clusters. Payment for pharmaceutical should also not be set only by the cheapest one in the group, but it should also be the second or third one.