E-drug: Dutch companies and price control mechanisms
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Dear e-druggers,
Dutch pharmaceutical companies are finding new creative ways to prevent
effective price control mechanisms by the Dutch Ministry of Health.
In the last years the Dutch government has been trying to reduce the
relatively high prices of medicines in the Netherlands. Before the
summer the Dutch Minister of Health will have to evaluate current prices
again, and set new price levels for the coming period. These new price
levels are partly determined by the current average price level, a high
average price level is very helpful for commercial purposes.
One of the new tactics of the industry is to cover for the expenses of
the patients' own financial contribution to the medicine directly to the
patient.
An example: Nourypharma on January 28 sent information and forms (to be
filled in) to pharmacies to give to patients that use mirtazapine
(Remeron), a prescription drug for patients with depression symptoms, to
get back their own financial contribution for the medicine (18 to 27
Euro per prescription). There are more than 20.000 patients that use
mirtazapine in the Netherlands.
What is the result of this tactic:
1. The average price level is being kept high and the industry keeps
receiving high profit margins for their medicines.
2. A very helpful direct marketing instrument is being created for this
industry (the names, addresses, and financial data of patients using
specific medicines can be obtained this way)
Original source: Trouw newspaper January 30, 1999
Greetings,
Mark Raijmakers