The reimbursement level for some 110 medicaments of low therapeutic value is expected to be reduced from 35.0% to 15.0% from April 2010.
The high level of healthcare expenditure, at over 11.0% of GDP, and the substantial health deficit are major concerns that have prompted a series of reform programmes and cost containment measures. Tentative limits have been placed on doctors’ prescribing activities, access to doctors is being more closely controlled, while the pharmaceutical industry has been subjected to a series of taxes and other charges.
The current medicines policy is that improved access to innovative medicines will be financed through cost-saving measures on existing medicines, such as cutting the reimbursement rate for products with a low or moderate value rating and delisting products with an insufficient value rating, as well as measures to increase sales of generics. As a result of these measures, pharmaceutical spending is expected to slow in the coming years.
For example, under the Law Project for Financing Social Security (PLFSS – Projet de Loi de Financement de la Sécurité Sociale) for 2010, the reimbursement level for some 110 medicaments of low therapeutic value is expected to be reduced from 35.0% to 15.0% from April 2010. PLFSS is expected to result in savings of 145.0 million euros (US$201.2 million) for the social security system. This new reimbursement level will be added to the current reimbursement levels.
Further reading - An in-depth report on the French pharmaceutical market is available from Espicom: The Pharmaceutical Market: France (published April 2010)
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Friday, 7 May 2010
Thursday, 17 September 2009
USA and France - sanofi-aventis to Close US Manufacturing Plant
French company sanofi-aventis is to close its manufacturing plant in Kansas City, USA, after failing to find a suitable buyer for the site, it was announced in August 2009.
The 33 year-old plant, which sanofi-aventis has owned since 2000, manufactures solid-dose oral medications including Allegra.
The operations will slowly be shut down before being closed altogether by mid-2012.
Further reading - Detailed reviews of the pharmaceutical markets in the USA and France are available from Espicom: The Pharmaceutical Market: USA (published June 2009) and The Pharmaceutical Market: France (published June 2009)
The 33 year-old plant, which sanofi-aventis has owned since 2000, manufactures solid-dose oral medications including Allegra.
The operations will slowly be shut down before being closed altogether by mid-2012.
Further reading - Detailed reviews of the pharmaceutical markets in the USA and France are available from Espicom: The Pharmaceutical Market: USA (published June 2009) and The Pharmaceutical Market: France (published June 2009)
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
UK - Study Finds Huge Variations in Funding for Off-Label Cancer Drugs
There are huge variations in the way that NHS trusts are funding drug treatments for patients with rare cancers, according to a new report from the Rarer Cancers Forum, published on 14th August 2009.
Off-label treatments are often used in patients with rare cancers, as there are few licensed products for these specific cancers. Instead, the treatments prescribed are licensed for common cancer areas, but where the cancers have a similar underlying disease process. However, since the treatments necessary are not licensed for this use, patients must apply to their NHS trust to obtain them.
The report, Off limits - an investigation into NHS organisations’ policies and processes for determining requests for the use of off-label treatments for people with cancer, found that the opinion of trusts towards this form of prescribing, known as ‘near-label prescribing’, varies widely. It found that over the past three years, over 3,000 patients have applied to their Primary Care Trust (PCT) for funding for off-label treatments, and more than 1,000 have had their requests rejected. The study also assessed that patients with rare cancers in the UK are less likely to have access to off-label treatments than in France and Germany.
The report makes 25 recommendations for improvements, including:
Off-label treatments are often used in patients with rare cancers, as there are few licensed products for these specific cancers. Instead, the treatments prescribed are licensed for common cancer areas, but where the cancers have a similar underlying disease process. However, since the treatments necessary are not licensed for this use, patients must apply to their NHS trust to obtain them.
The report, Off limits - an investigation into NHS organisations’ policies and processes for determining requests for the use of off-label treatments for people with cancer, found that the opinion of trusts towards this form of prescribing, known as ‘near-label prescribing’, varies widely. It found that over the past three years, over 3,000 patients have applied to their Primary Care Trust (PCT) for funding for off-label treatments, and more than 1,000 have had their requests rejected. The study also assessed that patients with rare cancers in the UK are less likely to have access to off-label treatments than in France and Germany.
The report makes 25 recommendations for improvements, including:
- Near-label cancer treatments should be funded at the national level;
- Mandatory guidance should be issued to the NHS on the near-label treatments used most frequently; and
- The pharmaceutical industry should contribute to the costs of running the new system, provided that patients with rarer cancers benefit from improved access to medicines.
Further reading - A detailed review of the UK pharmaceutical market is available from Espicom: The Pharmaceutical Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
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