National Health Insurance Scheme

There is price control in both hospitals and pharmacies. In hospitals, products are eligible for reimbursement under the national health insurance scheme and are price controlled. In pharmacies, a standard retail price system is in force (30% markup on manufacturer s plant delivery price). Patent protection has been available since July 1987. 

The Directive applies to any national measures to control price or restrict the range of products covered by national health insurance systems. The specific articles of the Directive cover the various schemes operational within the Community and demands that objective and verifiable criteria are met in their implementation (see also page 532 Chapter 17.15.4). 

Generic substitution has however been implemented by a number of reimbursement authorities, both insurance based schemes as in the United States and nationally run health care schemes, for example, Sweden (introduced October 2002) and Finland (introduced 1st April 2003) both countries health care schemes claim very considerable savings of the order of 5% of national expenditure on medicines. Sweden is considering extending the scheme to lead to compulsory generic prescribing. 

Reduce out-of-pocket spending, especially by the poor Expand health insurance through national, local and employer schemes... 

---