Control of public expenditure on drug products in Bulgaria – Policies and outcomes

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the economic performance of the application of the policy for negotiating discounts on drug products and agreements on the controlled access of patients in Bulgaria.

Methods: The methodology involves comparison of the amounts of public spending on medicines in two periods – during the course of the analyzed drug policies (January 2007 – June 2009), and the period in which negotiations on the price of medicines and programs for the controlled access of the patients was discontinued (July 2009 – December 2012).

Results: In Bulgaria, the government did not apply methods for controlling public
expenditure on medicines bargaining price concessions from manufacturers and
implementing agreements on controlled access of patients after June 2009. This led to an annual increase in the expenditures on drug products for home treatment (on average, 17% for the period 2009-2012).

Conclusion: This trend in Bulgaria will continue in the future since expenditure control only through price control by means of a reference system and the positive list of medicines is ineffective. There is a need for implementation of combined drug policies in Bulgaria in the form of negotiations on rebates with manufacturers and agreements on controlled access of patients and reference pricing.