Breakthrough: more than 70 % of prescription medicines are reimbursed

The share of daily doses of reimbursed prescription medicines in the total consumption of prescription medicines has increased significantly, the analysis on the consumption of reimbursed medicines, carried out by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) under the Ministry of Health, revealed. According to the specialists, it reflects better access to reimbursed medicines.

“Our calculations show that last year as much as 71% of prescription medicines was reimbursed to the residents. Thus, we have not only reached, but also surpassed the target set out in the Medicines Policy Guidelines - to reimburse 68% of prescription medicines to Lithuanian residents in 2027, thus reducing patients’ spending on medicines,” says Evaldas Stropus, the head of Pharmaceuticals Reimbursement Division.

According to him, consumption of reimbursable medicines has increased by an average of 6% annually, and last year the number of average daily doses of reimbursable medicines per 1000 residents increased by 17% compared to the previous year. This means that 62% of all daily doses of medicines consumed in Lithuania have already been covered by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF).

Over the last five years, the consumption of reimbursable medicines is estimated to have risen by almost 41%, or as much as 833 daily doses per 1,000 residents per day.

The NHIF study revealed that last year, the highest consumption of cardiovascular medicines in Lithuania - 55.5% - was in average daily doses, but compared to 2021, the consumption of cardiovascular medicines dropped by as much as 7%, and the consumption of gastrointestinal and metabolic medicines (by almost 6%) and antitumour medicines (by almost 4%) increased significantly.

Also, the analysis revealed that the number of average daily doses of reimbursable generics and biosimilar medicines consumed last year increased slightly compared to 2021, but this was less than last year’s 56.5% of the total number of reimbursable medicines consumed, while 43.5% was accounted for by original and reference medicines.

(Pixabay photo)

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