In Italy, when the drug leaves the factory it has the cheapest price that can be found in Europe; when the same drug arrives on the pharmacy counter, it has undergone such price mark-ups that it becomes more expensive in our country than in Great Britain, France, Holland, Portugal, Spain and Belgium. All this in the light of the growing data on drug expenditure in Italy: more than 10.8% in the first six months of 2006, compared to the same period of 2005. This is the sad record held in Italy by the prices of category A drugs, those reimbursed by the National Health Service, according to a survey by Altroconsumo, an independent consumer association. The survey was carried out on a basket of 19 drugs sold in eight EU countries, including Italy. The results of the survey are being presented today simultaneously by consumer associations in Europe who contributed to the survey. Altroconsumo scrutinized some of the best-selling category A drugs, since on average each consumer in Italy in 2005 purchased 28 packs of drugs: of these 15, more than half, were paid by the NHS. The investigation therefore shows that the Health Service manages to obtain good prices with the producers, a competitive advantage nullified by the quotas due to wholesalers and pharmacists. Saving is therefore possible, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of distribution and the beneficiaries would be the National Health Service, ie the system as a whole, all of us citizens and taxpayers. A concrete step forward has been made, but only for category C drugs, with the Bersani decree and with the new opportunities to stimulate competition: the opening of the distribution of OTC and SOP drugs in supermarkets, the application of discounts on the price of the drug freely decided by the operator, the overcoming of the principle of inheritance of the pharmacy. Altroconsumo requests that a discussion be initiated between the parties so that the National Health Service can make savings that the European experience has shown to be possible. Let's change the course, it affects the health and wallet of all of us.
From "national movement of free pharmacists"
From "national movement of free pharmacists"
