The causes of rising pharmaceutical expenditure in Greece are multiple and can be attributed to many factors like increasing prescription volume and the inability to control rising volume trends, a generalised failure in the monitoring and implementation of prescribing guidance, higher-than-average European prices of low cost generic products, and the introduction of novel medicines at high cost, among others. This has resulted in fixed pharmaceutical budgets being exceeded over time. While publicly funded pharmaceutical spending remains fixed at 1% of GDP, total pharmaceutical spending has climbed to 2.5% of GDP, with pharmaceutical manufacturers significant amounts and patient out-of-pocket expenses also rising.
In this initiative, the authors gather resources from the literature on a number of pharmaceutical policy interventions which have been implemented over time in order to rationalise pharmaceutical expenditure (prices and utilisation) and report on their outcomes. Topics that feature in this endeavour include the clawback and its evolution, the use of clinical guidance to inform prescribing, and how HTA and Negotiation can become more effective going forward also in line with the HTAR implementation.
Download the policy briefs below: