Hungarian Drug Prices, Health Debts And Generics

In Hungary, Zsuzsa Matejka, the chief pharmacist at the National Health Insurance Office, has said that the prices of medicines there will rise by an average of 14% some time around January 15, 1996. Prices of Hungarian-made medicines are expected to increase more than prices of imported products, according to MTI Econews.

Drug subsidies granted by the NIO will increase in line with price adjustments. Spending on health care in Hungary in the first four months of 1996 is expected to be 5% higher than the average monthly amount in 1995, the report adds.

In the first 10 months of 1995, hospitals had accumulated debts of 8 billion forint ($58 million). 199 billion forint was expected to be spent on medical treatment and preventive medicine throughout the health service in 1995, rising to 215 billion forint in 1996.