Flu medicines for sale at Yliopiston Apteekki in Helsinki. LEHTIKUVA
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The prices of more than 800 medicines dropped on March 1st as their wholesale prices were cut by 1.5%. The reduction is part of the government’s broader pharmaceutical savings plan, which will continue next year.
The price cut applies to reimbursable medicines introduced to the market in 2010 or later.
As prescription drug prices in pharmacies are based on wholesale prices under the state-regulated pricing system, retail prices also fell accordingly. The savings benefit both the state and consumers.
“This is good news for medicine users. Prices have been declining throughout the 2000s, and according to Statistics Finland, the consumer prices of prescription medicines have dropped by as much as 40%,” said Risto Holma, chairman of the Finnish Pharmacists’ Association.
The government is also preparing new pharmaceutical cost-cutting measures for next year, though details have yet to be decided.
“The government faces difficult decisions. While state finances and healthcare costs must be controlled, it is equally important to ensure equal access to medicines and pharmacy services across Finland, including sparsely populated areas,” Holma said. He pointed out that the government programme also commits to securing high-quality and safe pharmacy services nationwide.
Decades of pharmaceutical cost-cutting measures, combined with changes in the drug market, have already pushed many pharmacies into financial difficulty.
“Prescription drug sales have become unprofitable for many pharmacies, making over-the-counter medicines increasingly crucial for financial stability. The decline in prices of widely used drugs after patent expirations, combined with rising costs in recent years, has further strained pharmacies,” Holma explained.
The government is also planning to expand the sale of over-the-counter medicines outside pharmacies, a move that could further weaken the sector.
“The government’s decisions on next year’s pharmaceutical savings measures and over-the-counter medicine sales will determine whether Finland will continue to have a nationwide pharmacy service network,” Holma warned.
The Finnish Pharmacists’ Association has called for a comprehensive pharmacy sector reform, including changes to the pharmacy tax law so that taxation would be based on sales margins rather than total revenue.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
