Czech pharma consumption down 5% in 3rd-qtr 2006 as restrictions bite

Data on pharmaceutical consumption in the Czech Republic in the third quarter of 2006 has confirmed a further decline this year. As a consequence of restrictive measures, which limited availability - especially of modern drugs - 5% less by volume of medicines got to Czech patients this year against the like period of 2005. That is the biggest fall since 2001, while average surcharges for medicines grew permanently, reports the MAFS, the country's international pharmaceutical manufacturers association.

"It is possible to interpret the drop in the amount of prescribed medicaments sold in Czech health care as a result of restrictive measures of the Health Ministry for prescription of medicaments and new medicament decrees with validity from January and then also from August of this year. These measures actually lowered availability of drugs for serious diseases for Czech patients," explained MAFS executive director Jana Mikotova.

In the first three quarters of this year, the pharmaceutical market decreased a total 5% compared to the same period of last year. The development in sales by pack numbers declined in the course of the whole year: the market registered a fall of 4% in the third quarter compared with the same quarter of last year and 8% against the previous quarter of the same year. The drop actually reached 11% in the first quarter and it accounted for 3% in the second quarter against the same quarter of 2005, according to IMS Health data released by the MAFS.