Pilot projects for introduction of state regulation of medicine prices should be revised, say experts
Kyiv, June 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Nongovernmental organizations and experts have called on officials to revise pilot projects for the introduction of the state regulation of prices of medications, as artificial barriers to expensive medications could appear due to the restriction of the access of medications to the Ukrainian market under price guidelines.
Representatives of the All-Ukrainian Union of Patients' Organizations Health of the Nation said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday that for example, the price forming mechanism proposed in the pilot project for the introduction of state prices of medications to treat persons with hypertensive diseases could result in the exclusion of some medications from retail trade.
"Some vitally important medications will completely disappear from the Ukrainian market, putting the lives of patients at risk; patients cannot be deprived of the right to select medications required for effective treatment because of changes in the healthcare system," said Board Chairperson of the All-Ukrainian Union of Patients' Organizations Health of the Nation Valentyna Ocheretenko.
"Restricting access to medications in the Ukrainian market through price guidelines is a very dangerous practice, and it will have far-reaching negative consequences – patients with chronic diseases could lose access to vitally needed treatment. Thus, one of the fundamental rights of patients stipulated in the European Charter of Patients' Rights would be violated: each person has the right to freely select medical treatment and the persons who treat them," Ocheretenko said.
The experts said that the restriction of the access of medications to the market under price criterion could have the following deleterious effects: medications that are priced higher than the upper referring price will be artificially pushed out the market due to the application of a "price guillotine," and medications that today are priced lower than the upper limit, will rise in price to the upper limit; and regular treatment schemes will be affected, which, in turn, will negatively influence the health of patients who require continuous medication.
The press conference participants also said that medications that have the same pharmaceutical ingredient, that is they are of the same group of medications under the INN (International Nonproprietary Name), are not always interchangeable. In the case of biological medications, an automatic replacement is inadmissible. In addition, in many cases, patients depend on a particular medication, which is linked to their personal physiological condition.
The press conference participants said that innovative and expensive medications that give better results of treatment are not included in the refunding system in the pilot projects. Thus, a barrier for the access of Ukrainian patients to innovative treatments is being artificially created. This will have negative consequences for the key social and demographic indicators of the country – a growth in the death rate due to chronic diseases and the reduction in life spans.