Drug expenditure fell again in 2011

Despite declining drug spending supply continues to improve

08/28/2012

Improved drug supply with reduced costs. As reported by the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa), drug expenditures fell significantly in the past year, but the supply of medicines to patients had again improved. However, the leading association of statutory health insurance (GKV) referred to the drastic increase in pharmaceutical expenditure in the first half of this year by 3.5 percent, given the figures from the pharmaceutical atlas 2012 of the "vfa".

Especially at „particularly common diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, viral infections and cancers“ The vfa's drug supply has improved significantly, the vfa reported in a recent press release. Modern forms of therapy are increasingly reaching the affected patients, according to the statement in the Atlas of Pharmaceuticals 2012. The report prepared by the IGES Institute in Berlin on behalf of the vfa comes to the conclusion that the drug expenditures of the SHI in 2011 will be around 1.12 billion euros (just under four percent) have fallen. The statutory health insurance companies spent 29 billion euros last year on the supply of medicines to their insured persons.

Medicinal discounts allow massive savings
The main reasons for the decline in pharmaceutical expenditure were price reductions by manufacturers, discount contracts with the health insurance funds and patent expirations, the vfa reports. „About two-thirds of this reduction is due to the increase in the statutory discounts“, so the latest communication from the association. At the presentation of the study results in Berlin, the managing director of the IGES Institute, Professor Bertram Häussler, explained that „Pharmaceuticals, the only one of the major services of the GKV“ are, „whose expenditures have not increased steadily in recent years“ are. Although the regulation of new patent-protected medicines would have resulted in additional expenditure of around 430 million euros last year, cost savings of 640 million euros are the result of patent expirations and increased competition among manufacturers. In addition, there are the statutory compulsory discounts, which were raised under Philipp Rösler (FDP) as Federal Minister of Health from six to sixteen percent. The discount agreements between the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the health insurance companies brought further millions of savings.

Drug expenditure fell by almost four percent
The chief executive of the Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies, Birgit Fischer, said that the „massive savings contributions by companies play a decisive role in reducing the pharmaceutical expenditures of the statutory health insurance“ to have. Thanks to their contribution „Pharmaceutical expenditures per GKV-insured person in 2011 fall by 3.7 per cent to 388 euros“, stressed Fischer. While in other areas of performance, such as the clinics, continue to have rising costs accepted „The legislator has massively intervened in drug prices through a compulsory discount in combination with a price moratorium.“ In addition, the pharmaceutical manufacturers themselves made a contribution to cost savings through price reductions, which led to around a third of the reduction in expenditure, according to the result of the 2012 Atlas of Drugs.

Patient care improved with decreasing costs
Despite the decline in pharmaceutical expenditure, in 2011, there was a clear increase „receive more patients with serious, often chronic, even life-threatening illnesses“, than the year before, reports the vfa. For example, according to the association, the therapeutic arsenal for the medical treatment of multiple sclerosis has become „expanded with regard to the control of the inflammatory process as well as the symptomatic therapy.“ Overall, the number of prescribed daily doses for diseases of the immune system such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, viral infections or cancers has increased significantly. In addition, an increase in the number of patients and the increased prescription doses per patient in diabetes, an increased consumption of antidiabetics to be observed.

Unilateral burden on pharmaceutical manufacturers?
The Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies also criticized at the presentation of the Atlas of Drugs 2012 that the savings in the healthcare sector are largely at the expense of pharmaceutical manufacturers. „Unilateral price reductions and a growing battle for distribution between health-care actors will result in neither better care nor greater benefits for patients“, said the vfa chief executive, Birgit Fischer. Therefore, new, constructive solutions are needed, „which are not just about the price per product, but include all aspects of a treatment.“ According to the vfa, a price per supply should be defined here, „to be able to calculate efficiently, sustainably and predictably with the finances of the entire system.“ Goal must be, not „to save on medication, but by medication, Fischer emphasized.

Reduction of drug expenditure only for a short time
The leading association of statutory health insurance in Berlin, however, sees the development of pharmaceutical spending in the first half of 2012 with concern. „Whoever talks about costs today should not emphasize the past year, but the present“, said the spokesman for the GKV-Spitzenverbandes, Florian Lanz, to the news agency „DAPD“. Drug costs increased by 3.5 percent in the first half of 2012, and „If this continues, the extra spending this year will add up to one billion euros“, criticized Lanz. In the past, the successful savings in drug costs were often eaten up in subsequent years by massive cost increases. This could also be the case in 2012, so that the successes of the past two years would only be short-lived. (Fp)

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