Reimbursable medicines have become more accessible to patients, according to an analysis of the consumption of reimbursable medicines carried out by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) under the Ministry of Health. The increasing number of daily doses of reimbursable medicines as a proportion of both the total number of medicines sold on the Lithuanian market and the number of prescribed medicines has increased significantly over the past year.
“Last year, 70% of all medicines consumed by the Lithuanian population were reimbursed. In addition, as many as 78% of prescribed medicines were reimbursed by the health insurance funds. This shows that last year we managed to significantly reduce patients’ expenditure on medicines by covering it with the funds of the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund,” says Evaldas Stropus, Head of the Pharmaceuticals Reimbursement Division of the NHIF.
According to him, the consumption of reimbursable medicines has been increasing in recent years, at an average annual rate of 7.2%, and last year the average daily doses of reimbursable medicines per 1 000 inhabitants increased by more than 17.2% compared to the previous year.
In 2023, consumption of reimbursable medicines was estimated at 976 daily doses, rising by 344 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day over five years.
The NHIF study also revealed that last year, the highest proportion of average daily doses of reimbursable cardiology medicines consumed in Lithuania was 50.5%. Gastrointestinal and metabolic reimbursable medicines made up 28.9% and nervous system medicines 5.5% of the total daily doses of reimbursable medicines consumed.
In 2023, the average cost of a daily dose of medicines decreased to EUR 0.48. Compared to 2022, this indicator has decreased by 4%.
(Piktochart photo)
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