Ministry of Health sees prescriptions savings in September

 

Information released by Spain's Ministry of Health for September 2011 has shown how public pharmaceutical expenditure fell by 6.2% compared to September 2010. This is down to a fall in the number of prescriptions written (-0.2%), and of a fall in the average cost of prescriptions (-6.0%), according to the pharmaceutical trade group Farmaindustria.

September´s figures also marked a reduction in spending for the year to date of 8.8%, which follows a Royal decree from June of 2010, calling to attention the number of prescriptions written, together with the suggestion that many need not prescribe brand named pharmaceuticals where generic drugs may be suitable.

Farmaindustria noted that: "It is very probable that prescription consumption has been influenced by the difficult financial situation that many autonomous regions are suffering, and it could also be due to typical market movements faced with price changes". One such change came into effect on 1st November, which may result in a likely increase in prescriptions that could cancel out the improvements seen in September.