The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7193 p506-507
13 April 2002

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European Pharmaceutical Students' Association summary

Making the drugs bill affordable

How can we keep the drugs bill affordable, asked LOEK ARTS, KNMP (Royal Dutch Association for the Advancement of Pharmacy). Some of the possibilities include generic substitution and changing prescribing patterns. In the Netherlands, the government has introduced a generic substitution scheme in which the incentive for pharmacists is that they can keep one-third of the price difference between the branded drug and the generic substituted.

The Dutch government plans to change the law so that pharmacists are given equal responsibility as doctors. "This is a big step forward for pharmacists to be recognised as real health professionals," he said. Another long-term policy is the introduction of a new fee system for pharmacists whereby they will be paid one fee for offering a standard package of pharmaceutical care plus additional fees for special services. Examples of such services are monitoring use of medicines, providing smoking cessation services, providing feedback on prescribing and devising and maintaining formularies. Pharmacists who do not offer additional services will be paid only the basic fee.

It is important that the goal of costcontainment is value for money and not cost savings, Mr Arts added.