Spanish public spending on pharmaceuticals down 6.2% in September

Data from Spain’s Ministry of Health, Social Policy and Equality show that, in September 2011 (the latest published figures), public pharmaceutical expenditure experienced a new drop of 6.2% compared to the same month the previous year. This variation is a consequence of a reduction in the number of prescriptions (-0.2%), and of a fall in the average cost of prescriptions (-6.0%), noted the pharmaceutical trade group Farmaindustria.

Where annual expenditure evolution is concerned, September registered a drop of 8.8%. The annual expenditure evolution has also registered a steep reduction in growth rate over the 12-month period starting in June 2010; this was due to cost containment measures that came into force, namely Royal Decree Laws 4 and 8/2010. Attention is drawn to the performance of the number of prescriptions prescribed, given that, in September, a drop of -0.23% was registered, which was not expected.

Farmaindustria states: “Although we can play with different working hypothesis, it is very probable that prescription consumption has been influenced by the difficult financial situation that many autonomous regions are suffering, and it could also be due to typical market movements faced with price changes,” noting that one came into effect on November 1, and it is foreseeable that in October, an increase in prescription turnover in the national health service will compensate the uncharacteristic fall during September.