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The rulers promise to reimburse more drugs and abolish the regimen introduced by A. Veryga, when the first cheapest drug is reimbursed. However, the former minister questions the benefits of the new regime and promises to make drugs cheaper. Incentives for pharmaceutical manufacturers and sellers to compete on price are said to decline.
Despite the efforts of A. Veryga, who has been providing medical care for the last 4 years, to accustom Lithuanians to generic drugs and thus pay less for drugs, people continue to complain that the drugs are too expensive. . Almost all the most popular and most frequently prescribed medicines in Lithuania cost up to 4 times more expensive than in other EU countries, where analog medicines are the cheapest:
“People spend almost all of their pensions on drugs.”
“The simplest drugs have very high prices.”
“Very expensive, you have to cut it.”
“To make medicines cheaper.”
“It just came to our attention then. The prices are too high.”
Patient organizations are also outraged that many drugs are no longer on the reimbursement lists and residents are forced to pay full price for them.
Currently there is a supplement of 100 euros for nephrological patients. It is impossible for people with the highest disability group to be able to afford it. It must be organized in such a way that people can receive it, ”says Vida Augustinienė, representative of patient organizations.
“The new government promises to increase the availability of medicines, and the Ministry of Health and the Health Affairs Committee of the Seimas are already beginning to prepare a new procedure for the reimbursement of medicines,” says Deputy Minister of Health Danguolė Jankauskienė.
Already in the next six months, the goal is to abolish the system, where the state reimburses only the cheapest generic drug, and promises the option of choosing a more expensive one, part of which would be reimbursed.
“Currently, the state can reimburse the price of the cheapest drugs. If a person chooses the cheapest, he will not have to pay more. But 40 percent. The human doctor chooses not the cheapest drug, a balanced combination of drugs . The man pays the full price. The point here is that a person receives a different treatment when paying taxes. Let’s end with prohibitions, restrictions. The doctor has to decide what examination and what treatment to prescribe “, says the president of the Seimas Committee, Antanas Matulas.
Hearing such words from Matul, A. Veryga warns that Lithuania runs the risk of returning to the situation that existed four years ago and already sees the temptation of pharmacists to choose patients with more expensive drugs that the state will have to pay.
“What we want to do is liberalize access to the price list. Then the devil begins.” No matter what price you give it, you will be on the price list, they will compensate you a part, and the rest will be paid by someone, in reality it will pay for marketing, things that do not add value to health, “said the former minister.
Veryga warns that the new drug reimbursement regime will reduce incentives for drug manufacturers to compete with lower prices. Veryga and Matula continue to argue about which drugs are better: cheap or more expensive generics, the so-called ethical, comparing them with machines and fuels.
“I joked a lot about why you travel with Mersedesu With volvo the last? Sit on a rig – the active ingredient, the engine – the same. Let’s go. It’ll be cold, I’ll drive slower, but I’ll drive. This is the case with the patient ”, says A. Matulas.
“It just came to our knowledge then. I would compare that way.” If you refuel Orlen at a Neste gas station or an Orlen, which one will be better to drive with? More expensive in one and cheaper in the other. What fuel is best for the engine? This is the case with generic drugs, “says A. Veryga.
By promising to reimburse more medications, Matulas promises to change the lists less frequently than now, not quarterly but semi-annually.
In addition, he does not deny the desire to reduce the prices of medicines and sees two possible ways: one is to reduce the value added tax (VAT) and the other is to buy medicines together with Poland, which can buy them cheaper due to the market ten times. higher.
A. Veryga explains that the plan to buy medicines together with other Eastern European countries was hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. The focus of the ministries has shifted to fighting the pandemic and this project has not been implemented.
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