After drug price investigation, reconfirmation and correction of the declaration for drug price adjustment on the 5th occasion, Bureau of National Health Insurance adopts five matching measures in package in two projects amidst the widespread public concern. All those matching measures in package are intended to safeguard the public in safe and secured drug application.
I. Project to securely safeguard the public in their interests in drug application:
After the present drug price adjustment, the Bureau of National Health Insurance adopts the following matching measures in package to better safeguard public interests:
(I) Measures to safeguard public in carefree choices of medical treatment: In case of Essential Drugs which are indispensable and irreplaceable in clinical treatment, the Bureau of National Health Insurance respects the market prices. In a case which would indeed critically spoil patients in their choice and interests, the medical organizations may, on the grounds of expert opinions, duly report at anytime. The Bureau of National Health Insurance will, in response, invite experts in medical and pharmaceutical areas to seriously study and issue better measures.
(II) The payment system appropriately reflects the measures for sound efficacy of drugs: In case of new drugs offered and accompanied with firm information and data regarding assessment of medication technology to be more efficacious than the existent drugs, the Bureau of National Health Insurance will convey such information and data to medical and pharmaceutical experts for reference. The Bureau of National Health Insurance will try to take the “medical efficacy” or “value” to well reflects through the payment system or for reference in pricing.
II. Efforts to strengthen payment for new drugs and upgrade drug quality to safeguard the minimum floor prices:
In an attempt to enhance pharmaceutical application safety, quality and labeling of drugs, the Bureau of National Health Insurance sets a good number of minimum floor prices to encourage pharmaceutical manufacturers to offer high quality drugs:
(I) Measure to encourage pharmaceutical manufacturers to manufacture oral liquid to assure sound quality for specific target patients. For oral liquid convenient and oriented to children, the present measure will provide such oral liquid at reduced prices at unchanged packaging. The price reduction is NT$20 minimum. This measure is intended to encourage pharmaceutical manufacturers to manufacture such oral liquid.
(II) Measure to expressly encourage pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide original packaging to assure sound labeling: A pharmaceutical manufacturer who offers drugs in original packaging and instructions to public, with term of drug validity expressly remarked is encouraged to offer supporting certificate(s) and samples to apply to Bureau of National Health Insurance for an adjustment of prices. The minimum floor price is NT$1.5 per pill/tablet. The Bureau of National Health Insurance will strengthen publicity of this measure to the public.
(III) The surplus saved from drug price-cut will be applied to payment and coverage of new drugs to make new drugs better accessible to the public. Aiming at the efforts to upgrade the quality of drugs (e.g., the drugs using GMP raw materials), the Bureau of National Health Insurance will, step-by-step, take into account the setting of the minimum floor prices. For future investigation into drug prices and drug price adjustment, the Bureau of National Health Insurance will take into account the range covered in setting of minimum floor prices step-by-step, e.g., large sized intravenous drip liquid. Such efforts will better safeguard public in quality and safety of pharmaceutical application.
III. The present investigation into and reconfirmation of the drug prices, adjustment of correction of the declaration are duly conducted on the grounds of the principles adopted for the 5th drug price adjustment. The Bureau of National Health Insurance also takes into account stable availability of drugs to the public, pharmaceutical quality and safety to the public. The Bureau of National Health Insurance, meanwhile, takes into account the drugs available to the public and financial standing of National Health Insurance. The method in the adjustment is just the same without any difference. The investigation into and reconfirmation of the 5th annual drug price adjustment and correction of the declaration were calculated based on prices of free sales in the market. The Bureau of National Health Insurance honors the results of pharmaceutical dealers’ free sales in the market. The new drug prices of the latest adjustment came into effect on September 1, 2007.
IV. Thanks to the handy support by the Legal Department, the present drug price adjustment proves to have reaped quite satisfactory fruits. Subsequently, to assure transparent transactions in pharmaceutical markets, the Bureau of National Health Insurance will continually put forth efforts toward legislation of standards & adhesive contracts and toward encouragement to public hospitals to take the lead to adopt standards & adhesive contracts. In turn, transactions in the pharmaceutical markets will become increasingly rational and reasonable.
|