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More than 26% of total health care expenditures in 2010 were on pharmaceuticals. Compared to other OECD countries thus Slovakia had the third highest share of expenditures on pharmaceuticals, right after Hungary and Mexico. Slovakia got well above the average of all OECD countries, which stands at 16.6%. This was alleged in the OECD Health Data 2012 report published on the website of the organization, which provides information from 2010.

Consequences of the failure to pay insurance are becoming more serious for policyholders. Last year the penalties for late payments were tightened by the law. Now, moreover, Dôvera came with the mechanism, which will ensure that bad payers will not get their planned interventions. Dôvera thanks to the online reporting system of hospitalisations – HospiCOM, knows about the planned hospitalisation in advance, so Dôvera can warn the hospital about the non-payer and thus the health care will not be covered.

General hospital and polyclinic Levoča, member of Agel group, has introduced a new navigation system in its area. Patients as well as visitors of the healthcare institution can thus find particular workstations a little easier than until now. New navigation of the hospitals has after several decades replaced the original signs in this healthcare institution.

Doctors who are considering the start-up of private practice have in some specializations huge advantage according to lack of experts in some regions of Slovakia. This finding is based on the comparison of rules setting the necessary number of specialists with the reality. The biggest problems are in specializations such as radiation oncology, plastic surgery or drug dependence medicine. Insurance companies are allegedly recording no applications for conclusion of the contract in these specialisations. 

Discounts provided by pharmacies on pharmaceuticals which are being issued on prescription are according to the Ministry of Health bringing financial benefits, but despite this fact Ministry plans to introduce the ban of these bonuses. This should happen through the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals. Ministry argues that loyalty system highly influences also the consumption of pharmaceuticals, which has been increasing. Executive manager of the network of pharmacies Dr. Max, Tomas Slechan, sees in the intention to prohibit the discounts especially the way how to cancel the competition between pharmacies.

Hospital in Zvolen, member of group Agel, in these days started the complete modernization of laboratories. The result of the reconstruction will be a common haematological and biochemical laboratory. Costs are estimated to amount of € 150 000. The aim of reconstruction is to build a modern operation and to increase overall efficiency by merging of two laboratories. Such modernized laboratory will in future enable to handle more than double of samples compared to current situation.

Health insurance companies are annually registering hundreds of reimbursement treatments abroad. As explained the spokeswoman of Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa - VšZP (General Health Insurance Company), Dana Gašparíková, their policyholders travelled especially to Czech republic, Austria and Germany. Similar countries are registered also by private health insurance companies Dôvera and Union. Policyholders were treated for example also in USA, Switzerland or Hungary. Insurance companies last year approved totally 746 proposals for treatment out of Slovakia. Most were approved by VšZP – 544, followed by Dôvera with 166 and Union with 36.

Slovak Chamber of Pharmacists repeatedly fights against so called “loyalty systems”. Discounts and bonuses used in some pharmacies in the competitive struggle are, according to the Chamber, changing the consumer behaviour of patients. This is turning more to saving than to expertise of issuing of pharmaceutical. The fact that people are more looking at discounts than at the professionalism is also shown by the July survey of the agency Focus. According to it about 25% of regular visitors of pharmacies are following the bonuses.

Slovak Chamber of Medical-Technical Workers is asking for responsible dealing with wage claims of all healthcare professionals. President of the Chamber, Jana Strápková pointed out that healthcare system does not include only nurses and doctors, but also laboratory stuff, assistants, rescuers, radiology technics, sanitary stuff, physiotherapists and other workers. Without their work patients would not be diagnosed, would not have necessary examinations, histology and CT examinations made and would not receive pharmaceuticals and medical material.

Medical Trade Union is concerned about the statement of the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia, which is considering the submission of the act on wages of doctors to General Prosecutor. According to the head of Trade Union this is the way how to disrupt the social peace, which was achieved by signing of memorandum between Medical Trade Union and Government at the end of last year. He pointed out that by this step the Association will assume responsibility for the situation that may arise.