Sales of free and subsidised drugs fall in relation to H1

Pharmaceutical companies sold fewer subsidised and free drugs in the third quarter of this year as compared with the end of the first half of the year, with consumption of this category of drugs declining by about 40%.

The slower growth rate was due to regulations imposed by the Health Ministry, including the introduction of a benchmark price for generics at the middle of the year. From the end of the first half, when growth in the consumption of subsidised and free drugs reached almost 100% against the corresponding period of 2004, after the first nine months this growth rate came down to 60%.

In the January-September period, expenditures related to subsidised and free drugs amounted to about 350 million euros (1.272 billion RON), in line with data released by the National Health Insurance Office (Casa Nationala a Asigurarilor de Sanatate – CNAS).

Consumption increased as the total number of prescriptions released rose from 16 to 17 million during the period under analysis, a growth of just 6%, and the dollar dropped against the domestic currency.

The factor behind the higher consumption of compensated drugs was the tendency towards prescribing the most expensive drugs for certain illnesses, and the full use of 90% subsidies in the case of certain categories of drugs.

“The consumption of free and subsidised drugs advanced from the corresponding period of last year, due to the evolution seen in the first quarter, when there was substantial growth. The second quarter brought a steep decline, while in the third quarter things began to stabilise,” explained Marius Savu, chairman of the Romanian Association of Drug Producers and Importers, and general manager of the Romanian office of Eli Lilly.

Free drugs accounted for about 60% of the total consumed, in terms of value, with the difference made up by partially subsidised drugs. At the same time, in terms of value, 7% of the total for free drugs was taken up by over-the-counter drugs. Proportions are somewhat similar to the ones registered in midyear.

“The higher average value of prescriptions has been registered in the context where control is exerted when the prescription drugs are dispensed, and not when the drugs in question are prescribed. Despite this growth, the values registered on the Romanian market are still at extremely low levels,” said Marius Chereches, general manager of Pharmafarm. The company is indirectly controlled by Europe”s biggest drug distributor, the German group Celesio, through the Slovenian company Kemofarmacija. alexandru.cerchez@zf.ro