Objective to reduce spending by 2% in the pharmaceutical sector, going from 13.1% to 11.3. Signed the decree that requires family doctors to reduce the prescriptions of the most common drugs. But perhaps this will not be enough and so hospitals too will have to limit the purchase of medicines.
29 MAR – On mucolytics, drugs against diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, antibacterials and gastric reflux, the Sicily region has decided, to reduce pharmaceutical expenditure, to give a squeeze. And so Lucia Borsellino, regional health councilor, signed a decree requiring family doctors to reduce, starting in the next few days, the prescriptions of some of the most common medicines in order to reduce waste by the end of the year.
The cut, according to what has been learned, was imposed by the national government which reminded the governor Rosario Crocetta that his region must reduce spending on drugs from 13.1 to 11.3%. In practice, by the end of the year Sicily will have to cut waste for a total of over 100 million. The measures envisaged in the decree provide for savings of 53 million thanks to the operation linked to family doctors and, moreover, hospitals are also expected to cut the purchase of medicines for another 50 million.
On the other hand, it is Borsellino herself who recognizes that the Sicilian per capita expenditure is among the highest among those in Italy: 180 euros against an average of 150 and for this reason in the region they have "monitored - the Councilor says - the consumptions in which the greatest differences are recorded and provided indications to improve the appropriateness of the prescriptions". Controls on recipes will also increase accordingly.
Both ASP managers and the main trade associations are called to collaborate in this phase to identify the monthly targets that will have to be entrusted to the MMGs. Who, among the GPs, goes beyond the agreed target could be sanctioned like public managers. Compliance with the limits will be monitored every month.
