Czech Health Minister to issue new drug rules

Czech Health Minister David Rath is to launch a new and controversial medicines directive to come into force on August 1. Dr Rath has said that the new regulations will achieve savings of around $90.0 million a year within the health insurance sector.

Doctors will be able to increase spending on drugs and medicines by this amount without breaching health fund spending limits. However, pharmaceutical companies delivering products to the Czech market, say the new regulation will restrict patient access to medicines and increase patient charges, a claim Dr Rath rejects.

The Ministry of Health has reportedly reached agreement with a number of drugmakers on a price reduction for more expensive drugs and the original draft regulation has been modified so that patient charges for anti-depressant and cardiovascular drugs will not increase.