E-drug: Re: Per capita allocation for medicines
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Figures not from a developing country, but with possible interest, I hope.
There is a budget for the national social services, but if overspent,
additional funds are likely to be provided. Government here as in most
countries are concerned with the steep increase in public expenditure, but
actions taken so far has mainly been to increase copayment and reimburse
only cheapest generic or parallell import. Not to look at measures to
improve prescribing. Both measures have limited effect as most of the
increase is due to new more expensive drugs under patent.
In Norway figures as requested are available in a publication issued by the
Norwegian Association of Pharmaceutical companies (lmi@lmi.no) issued
annually both in English and Norwegian. It is called Drugs and Health Care.
Figures and Facts 1997 (is the latest). Some comparisons across Europe is
copied from EFPIA which I assume is a European Association which I am sure
would be able to provide you with more figures.
Some key figures for Norway from 1996:
Annual total expenditure NOK 7.8 billion (pharmacy sales price incl 23% VAT)
Public drug expenditure NOK 5.4 billion, i.e. 67% = NOK 1242 per inhabitant
of this, hospital expenditure NOK 1.6 billion, i.e. 14.2%
and reimbursement NOK 4.3 billion, i.e. 52.6%
In hospitals, drug expenditure constitutes 3-5% of total budget.
Expenditure per inhabitant is about NOK 2000 per year (pharmacy sales price
incl 23% VAT).
In Ex-factory prices, which is what EFPIA is using, the figure for
expenditure per inhabitant was in 1995 119 ECU, highest in France with 224
ECU and lowest in Greece with 78 ECU.
Not all drugs are reimbursed in Norway, only drugs for lifelong or
lifethreatening diseases and STDs. Patient copayment is on average 5%.
Total patient expenditure (copayment+OTC+not reimbursed drugs+veterinary
drugs(!)is 33%.
1 ECU = 8.40 NOK 1 USD = 7.60 NOK
Regards
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