Monday 30 July 2012 17:14
ROME, July 30 (Reuters) - Lobbying by pharmaceutical companies has slowed down the examination of the decree law on the spending review in the Senate floor.
According to parliamentary sources, the government has not yet filed the maxi-amendment on which it will raise the question of trust due to the ongoing confrontation on two delicate chapters of the decree: the cut in pharmaceutical spending and the obligation to prescribe only the active ingredient in medical prescriptions.
A partial confirmation comes from the Undersecretary for Relations with Parliament, Antonio Malaschini, who asked and obtained the suspension of the sitting until 6.00 pm.
In the text approved by the commissions, the decree increases the obligatory discount that pharmacies apply to the national health service to 2.25% from 1.82%. For pharmaceutical companies, the discount passes to 4.1% from 1.83%.
Furthermore, the decree obliges the doctor who treats a patient for the first time to indicate in the research only the active ingredient contained in the drug. If, on the other hand, he decides to prescribe a specific medicine, the doctor must justify the choice with a "brief written justification".
Spending review. Start the exam in the classroom. Waiting for trust. Possible maxi-amendment
The Assembly of Senators this morning began the discussion on the text approved by the Budget Commission on Friday night. But there is also talk of a maxi-amendment by the Government on which fi will be placed
