Consequences of the price decrease for prescription (Rx) drugs 2015-2019

Abstract

The price regulation of July 1st, 2015, also known as “the smallest European price policy” was adopted in order to widen the access to drug treatment for patients in Romania, without a significant cost to public expenses. Within the analysed period (July 2015-June 2019), this policy has had negative effects, somewhat contrary to the initially announced intentions. The increase in disparities in drug consumption between the large cities and the small towns (including the rural areas), the discrimination of generic drugs, the disappearance of a significant number of products and INNs, the establishment of so-called “in-deficit drugs”, as well as the increase of the proportion of truly expensive drugs are all shortcomings of the current price policy and thus recommend the fundamental change of this policy. The main problems that continue to be unsolved (in a sustainable way) are: the prices for the Rx drugs of up to 50 RON (which represent over 90% of the volume of current consumption) and the prices for Rx drugs of over 1.000 RON (which represent the first segment of cost increase for drugs within the 4 analysed years).