Drug expenditure increased dramatically in 2015

Drug Atlas 2015 shows significant increase in drug expenditure
The pharmaceutical expenditures of the legal health insurances (GKV) rose massively in the past. Due to one-off effects, GKV's drug expenditures increased by nearly ten percent in 2014, according to one of the results of the Atlas of Medicine 2015, which was commissioned by the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa).

The pharmaceutical expenditures of the legal health insurance companies rose in the past year by 2.95 billion euros. (Image: I-vista)

To 2.95 billion euros to a total of 33.3 billion euros, the drug spending of the statutory health insurance in 2014, according to the announcement of vfa increased. However, the past year had been atypical, as special effects would have contributed to the drastic increase in medical expenses. According to the vfa, "around half of the increase is attributable to the long-planned discontinuation of the increased manufacturer levy, the increase in insured persons by around 430,000, and the increased pharmacy compensation".

New drugs open up additional treatment options
The other half of the increase in pharmaceutical spending is, according to the vfa, "due to significant therapeutic innovations". For example, new drugs against multiple sclerosis and anticoagulants have been used to treat additional patients, the association reports. This additional consumption shows that the new medicines cover a considerable therapeutic need. Overall, the number of innovations in 2014 had been extraordinarily high anyway. Thanks to new drugs, for example, chronic hepatitis C is now almost always curable and the disease can be eliminated in the medium term.

The first targeted drugs have been available since last year for some forms of cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy, new antibiotics for the clinical germ MRSA and the first new drugs for tuberculosis since 1995, the vfa reports. In addition, the treatment options for some cancers had improved. These innovations would be important advances for patients and could be integrated into the health insurance reimbursement system, as it could save the cost of less successful treatments. (Fp)