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Tag: pharmaceuticals
Patients taking pharmaceuticals for elevated cholesterol levels, osteoporosis or prescribed antibiotics, might pay more in pharmacy from 1st August. In the July categorization the supplementary charges decreased, but now they will be increased. In august, the Reimbursement Committee decided that supplementary charge will be increased by almost 1 300 pharmaceuticals. Patient may avoid the paying of supplementary charge by choosing the alternative pharmaceuticals, which is fully covered by health insurance company.
Members of Parliament now put the Slovak act on pharmaceuticals from December 2010 into accordance with the Direction of EU Parliament and EU Committee. Changes ensure the closer supervision over the pharmaceuticals for people especially by tightening of requests for the pharmaceutical registration holders – pharmaceutical companies. For the treatment with unregistered pharmaceutical the prescribing doctor will assume the responsibility. Patient has to agree in writing with this treatment and the approval will be a part of his/her documentation.
Ministry of Health plans to implement the rules for the export of pharmaceuticals from Slovakia and prevent thus the reexport of pharmaceuticals abroad. Minister for now did not say how concretely should be the export of pharmaceuticals abroad adjusted. She, however, indicated that there might be an approval required by exporting. In the times of former Government the producers and suppliers of pharmaceuticals already warned of the problems with reexport of pharmaceuticals. It was facilitated by their low price due to the tightening of the referencing of prices of pharmaceuticals.
Patient last year paid for surcharges approximately € 175.7 million, what is 8.3% more than in 2010. Compared to 2008 people paid even by € 21 million more. This negative growth should be stopped by the new categorization of pharmaceuticals, which is, according to the Association of Suppliers of Pharmaceuticals, being prepared at the Ministry of Health. Surcharges for pharmaceuticals should be increased in average by 5%. More than a half of surcharges or their increasing will be in the group of pharmaceuticals for cardiovascular diseases.
In Slovakia we currently have the second cheapest pharmaceuticals in EU. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská admits that this could be changed. She also gives some indication about the alternative of an average of three lowest prices in EU. Ministry of Finance points out that the referencing has been contributing to the savings of public finances for four years. Possible changes should, according to Ministry of Finance, be thoroughly analysed with regard to the availability of pharmaceuticals and their lowest prices.
Patients last year paid through surcharges € 13 million more than in 2010. But payment of health insurance companies in this category decreased by € 65 million. Totally it was spent 90.6 million of packages of pharmaceuticals on prescription. Payment for them amounted € 1.07 billion. In 2010 it was € 1.13 billion. Decrease was caused especially by legislation changes, which have shifted some pharmaceuticals from the category of pharmaceuticals on prescription to other categories.
Pharmaceutical companies will probably from October pay significantly more for issuing of the decision on the registration of human pharmaceuticals. This is provided by the newest amendment to the act on administrative fees submitted by the Ministry of Finance. According to it the registration of new pharmaceutical will cost € 9600 instead of current € 2 489. Pharmaceutical company will pay € 8 000 for the registration of known or generic pharmaceutical. Increasing of the fees for the registration of pharmaceuticals was planned also by former Government.
From now the prescribing doctor should bear the responsibility for prescription of unregistered human pharmaceuticals. For therapeutic use of such pharmaceuticals also the previous written informed approval of patient should be required. This results from the proposal of the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals and medical devices made by Ministry of Health, which was shifted to the second reading by members of Parliament. Legislation measure strengthens the supervision over human pharmaceutical, supervision over the market and sanctions for non-compliance with the relevant provisions.
From October 2012 there should be 5 209 pharmaceuticals available on Slovak market. The reimbursement list will be enlarged by 107 new pharmaceuticals. Ministry of Health estimates €60 million savings in pharmaceutical policy from October 1st, 2012 to October 1st, 2013. Ministry encourages the doctors to consistently follow the rational prescription, prescribe pharmaceuticals without co-payment or with minimum co-payment.
In the times when some hospitals were struggling with the lack of pharmaceuticals for their oncological patients, hospital in Prešov traded with them. Despite of its high loss, hospital purchased pharmaceuticals for seven months ahead and sold them immediately to two distribution companies. Incentive of the excessive purchase of pharmaceuticals and subsequent sale is not clear. Ministry of Health will not complain against former management, as according to Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská the law was not violated.
