to reduce
health care costs, should be cheap and common medicines more expensive. What sounds paradoxical has been prepared by the Federal office for the health (BAG) and found it to be good. By July it wants to renew the prices for the sales of prescription medicines. Two proposals sent the BAG in the consultation process. The potential savings: 47 million Swiss francs per year.
According to the calculations of the health insurance Association Santésuisse would be much more to it. Up to 330 million would be possible, this corresponds to 1 reward per cent. “The BAG is particularly easy on the wholesalers to be strong,” says Matthias Müller from Santésuisse. Without this preference, the “middlemen” between pharmaceutical companies and pharmacists, the savings would be significantly higher.
The painkiller Novalgin would be 40 percent more expensive.
Currently, the BAG for preparations to 879 francs calculated with a sales share of 4.5 percent for the logistics and 7.5 percent for the retail trade. However, the office came to the conclusion: This Supplement of a total of 12 percent is too high. The pharmacists there will therefore be only 2 percent.
Otherwise, the BAG is with the wholesalers. For them, it provides for a higher proportion, namely 7 percent. “This, according to the affected distributors”, such as the BAG writes. Incomprehensible to Müller of Santésuisse. “The goal should be to save costs, and not generate new ones.” And to relieve especially: the premium payer.
Low-saving effect, and high cost
The distribution will not, however, be compensated only with the price-related surcharge. Added to this is a fixed surcharge per pack. Depending on the price of the drug, this is between 4 and 240 francs. It should be for cheap drugs for up to 24 Swiss francs – the majority of the sold prescription drugs – significantly more expensive.
The consequences of the proposals in the BAG: A small saving effect, and high cost for cheap drugs. The example of the painkiller Novalgin. So a pack of 50 film-coated Tablets instead of 12.60 Swiss francs according to the BAG-option 1 would cost 17.60 Swiss francs – including 9 percent of price-related surcharge, and 9 francs per pack. And according to variant 2 16.15 francs – including a 25 percent price-related charge and 7 francs per pack. So, about 40 percent more.
This is not a solution, Santésuisse, and the Association of pharmacists Pharmasuisse. Both have produced their own revision proposals and the BAG. The insurer for the distribution of a price-related surcharge of 5 percent and a fixed surcharge of CHF 10 per pack, which is comparable with the Situation in Germany.
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according to Pharma Suisse, shall be the price related Supplement only 3 percent. The Association pro pack want to a charge of 14.85 Swiss francs. So he wants to prevent an expensive, is sold instead of a cheap drug or prescribed. “The pharmacist should not be punished if they make a generic product,” says Fabian Vaucher, Pharma Suisse-President.
But The proposal from the pharmacist due to the high Fixzuschlags the costs for cheap drugs even more to rise. For a pack of Novalgin 23.40 Swiss francs, would be to fork, 85 percent more than today.
Claus Hysek, President of the Association, Ifak, which represents the interests of independent pharmacies, it does not support the proposal of Pharma Suisse. Hysek says: He was going in the right direction. “Already today, more than 9 percent in the case of many drugs to the wholesalers.” The pharmacist de facto permanent, in many cases, the percentage of sales share of anything left over. Hysek requires, therefore, that the BAG analysed the Situation, including the past and future price reductions before it will screw on to the System. “Otherwise, the office shall withdraw the pharmacists of the basis, in the reduction of health care costs to help.”
Online pharmacist have any other interests
The pharmacist disagree. The trade to the fact that effective drugs are often sold over the counter, in the medium – to high-priced as well as generic medicines, often via online. “The proposals of the BAG to discriminate, therefore, once more, the mail-order pharmacies”, says Pascale Ineichen of the Zur Rose Group. While prescription drugs are in transit to 12 per cent cheaper. The “reference Check” of 4.31 franc falls away, among other things. “The BAG should not create new competition-inhibiting regulations, and Pharma Suisse should be sustainable and appropriate cost-reduction policy,” said Ineichen.
nothing is decided Yet. It is expected that this will do, Federal councillor Alain Berset to the middle of the year.
(Sunday newspaper)
Created: 23.02.2019, 23:34 PM
