Indicating active substances in the names of medicines has saved patients more than two million euros in two months.
The procedure when doctors indicate their active substance instead of the name in the prescriptions of state reimbursable medicines is valid from 1 April. The main goal of the changes was to reduce the prices of medicines, as well as patients’ co-payments for the purchase of medicines.
“The first results are positive – patient co-payments in the first two months, ie in April and May, have decreased by 2.14 million euros. This means that patients save a million euros every month by not buying more expensive reimbursable medicines, but simply paying a smaller amount for the medicines, ”says Dita Okmane, a representative of the State Agency of Medicines.
Some pharmacists and doctors believe that the new procedure is complicated and inconvenient, because the requirements included in the e-prescription system are too complicated. Observations from the industry show that patients do not understand the changes in drug use habits.
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