Continuing efforts of the Government and the Ministry of Health to reduce the prices of medicines as a systemic reform continuously implemented in order to enable greater access to medicines that are necessary for good health, for prevention and treatment of certain diseases.
Minister of Health today informed that according to recent amendments to the Law on drugs and the adopted methodology for establishing the drugs prices from 15th this month continues with the new fifth reducing of total cost of 352 drugs (innovative originators and generic drugs).
- Significant reduction have almost all the pharmacy-therapeutic group of drugs, especially in anti-neoplastenics and immune-modulators, drugs for high blood pressure, analgesics, antibiotics, antimicrobial drugs, antiviral drugs, sedatives, anti-rheumatic, and drugs that act on the stomach and gastrointestinal system, immune-suppressants etc.
Within the reduction are covered drugs for hospital use, and medications that citizens buy in drug stores. As was mentioned, in accordance with the methodology for determining the prices of medicines, the Bureau has prepared analysis of all drugs that are approved for sale of drugs in the Republic of Macedonia and from the estimates from 15th this month comes new reduction of 218 generic drugs and 134innovative drugs and originators, said Todorov.
- The average reduction of generic drugs is 18.42 %.
Large percentage of reduction has the following generics:
• Miconazole (medicine for fungal infections) – 88.39 %
• Carbamazepine (epilepsy) – 65.83 %
• Irinotecan (cure cancer) – 64,44 %
• Topiramate (epilepsy) – 62.53 %
• Sodium fluoride (medicine for teeth strengthening) – 61.91 %
• Diclofenac (medication to reduce pain and inflammation) – 54.41 %
• Azithromycin (antibiotic) – 45.88 %
The largest reduction occurs in the following generics:
- Ironotecan 100 ml (cure cancer) – the difference in price from 64,44 % (old price was 8.450 MKD, and the new is 3004.98 MKD and the difference in price is – 5445 , 03 MKD).
- Gemcitabine than 1g (cure cancer) – the difference in price from 49.24 % (old price – 7861 MKD, and the new price is 3990, 54 MKD, and the difference in price is 3870.47 MKD).
- Fentanyl 75mcg / h (analgesic) – the difference in price from 50.43 % (old price – 3970, 14 MKD, new price – 1.968,00 MKD, and the difference in price is 2002, 15 MKD) and with many other medications, which can be seen in the presentation.
The total estimated savings among generic drugs annually amounts to 130 139 000, 00 MKD or about 2,116,000 euro.
- The largest saving is estimated at generic drug Heparin (an anticoagulant) from 25000 IE (international units) / 5 ml x 10 glass vials with reducing the maximum price of 1999.12 MKD to 1877.77 MKD and annually saves of 254.300 euro.
Also in generic drug cefixime (an antibiotic) and 400 mg pack of 10 film – coated tablets, with decrease of 880 MKD to 604.87 MKD, which will be annual saving of about 192.590 euro.
Within the recent fifth reduction of the maximum drug prices and the prices are reduced to 134 originators and innovative medicines.
Average percentage reduction in these drugs is for 6.44 %, while the average price of reduction of these drugs is 368 MKD.
The largest percentage of decrease occurs in the following generics:
MIRAPEXIN (medicine for Parkinson’s disease) 43.27 %
NEBILET (high blood pressure) 42.63 %
PROGRAF (immune-suppressant – control response of the immune system) 37.71 %
THYPHIM Vi (vaccine) 35.93 %
EPREX (used in the treatment of anemia) 18.67 %
NOVAMORF (analgesic for severe pain) 16.62 %
Todorov explained in detail and price reductions for drugs.
- Estimated savings in originators drugs and innovative drugs is 68,730,000 MKD or 1,117,560 euro.
The largest estimated savings is at the drug REBIF 44 (interferon for treatment of multiple sclerosis) 44 mcg. This is decline from 56,786.64 MKD to 50,795.46 MKD with annually save of 701.400 euro.
Also the drug XELODA 500 mg – a cure for cancer, with reduction from 17,983.34 MKD to 16.053.50 MKD with saving of around 105.968 euro.
- Reduction at BONVIVA (for bone disease) 150 mg, from 1,158 MKD to 1,045 MKD, which would mean annual savings of 61 892 euro.
- The reduction includes such drugs for hospital use, and drugs that citizens buy into pharmacy. For example, known drugs for hospital use are – CELLCEPT (immune-suppressant), DianealPD4 (peritoneal dialysis solution), ROFERON (immune-modulato); known drugs that citizens buy at the pharmacy and who have been cut – Diclofenak, Ketoprofen (pain medication and antirheumatic), Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Azithromycin, Cefalexin, Clarithromycin, Cefuroxime, Cefixime (antibiotics), Miconazole (antimycotic), Lisinospril, Lisinopril with Hydrochlorotiazid, Losartan (antihypertensives), Isosorbide mononitrate (vasodilator), Omeprazole, Lansoprazole, Pantoprazole (drugs that affect the stomach and gastrointestinal system), Risperidone (antipsychotic), Clopidogrel (anti-thrombotic). If we summarize the estimated annual savings, i.e. savings of generic drugs is 2,116,650 euro, with estimated savings on originators and innovative is 1,117,560 euro, said Todorov.
The total estimated annual savings with this reduction is around 3,234,210 euro.
Regarding the use of these drugs, the Minister cited several examples of prescription drugs from “My term” and appropriate savings from the use of these drugs:
Doctors, from September 2013 until March 2014 385.301 times prescribed generic Lisinopril 20 mg, or savings for 6 months is 73.800 euro.
The same generic of 10 mg, in the last 6 months has been prescribed 227,380 times. The savings for this period would be around 44,300 euro.
According to the Mojtermin, Bonviva drug in the last 6 months has been prescribed 17.880 times.
Generics Lansoprazole 30 mg, in all its forms and pharmaceutical packaging in the last 6 months was 168.740 times prescribed by doctors and the savings would be around 348.700 euro.
These generics in the last 6 months are prescribed at 62.037 different patients.
It is continuous decrease in the prices of drugs and every six months or twice a year (October and March) and the Government policy will continue in the future.
- The importance of this reform is that citizens acquire these drugs at cheaper prices, and means more savings for the health system and saved funds for the healthcare system and allocated for the procurement of drugs. In addition, most importantly, immediate, direct, and indirect benefits have citizens of Republic of Macedonia. In this way, it enables prices, which are more accessible to citizens and most importantly the difference is reduced, i.e. the difference that citizen pays for the purchase of that drug. This policy will continue in the future, concluded Todorov.