Madrid,Spain – A growing number of โคSpaniards are struggling to afford essential medications,with over two million people – representing 4.3% of the population – unable to pay for prescriptions in 2024, according to recent data. This โmarks a significant increase from 2.6% in 2019, reversing a period โof improvement and signaling a resurgence โof “pharmaceutical poverty.”
The issue is particularly acute โin certain regions. Andalusia (6.5%), the Canary Islands (6.3%), and Castile-La Mancha (5.6%) report โthe โhighest percentages of โresidents facing โฃmedication affordability challenges. Conversely, Navarra (1.2%), Aragon (1.4%),and the Balearic Islands (1.8%) have the lowest rates. Thes regional disparities correlate with broaderโ economic hardship, โคwith Castile-La Mancha (10.9%), the canary Islands (12.7%), and Andalusia โฃ(10.7%) also exhibiting theโ greatest difficulty in meeting basic living expenses, according to the INEโ Living Conditions Survey. Nationally, 8.7% of the population report “great difficulty” making ends meet, andโ 12.4% report “difficulty.”
Experts attribute the problem, in part,โ to the pharmaceutical co-payment system implementedโข in 2012 under the government of Mariano Rajoy.While recent adjustments to the โค2021 General โคState Budget have expanded co-payment exemptions, โขthe burden remains considerable for the “working poor” – employed individuals earning less than 18,000 euros annually, who faceโข a 40% โคco-payment on their medications. โ
Proposed reforms to the co-payment system, aiming to reduceโค costs for low-income earners and โincrease them for โhigher โearners, are currently suspended and were not included โขin theโฃ recently approved draft drugโ law. Coordination with othre ministriesโ is cited as the reasonโค for the delay.
Banco Farmacรฉutico, an organization assisting those experiencing pharmaceutical poverty, reports โขthat 70% ofโ its beneficiaries are between 40 and 69 years old, and nearly 50% are Spanish citizens.The organization also notes thatโข 35% of the medications it โprovides are for conditions related to the nervous system, including mental health and pain management.