Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17948

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Italy's Pharma Sector Warns Budget Drug Steps To Hurt Economy
The Wall Street Journal 2010 Jun 4
http://web.archive.org/web/20100609163131/http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100604-707357.html

Abstract:

Italian fiscal plans to squeeze pharmaceutical prices risk crushing one of the country’s most vibrant sectors and push high-wage research jobs out of the country, according to the head of Italy’s Farmindustria trade group.

Part of Italy’s EUR25 billion austerity plan focuses on pharmaceutical costs by cutting the price of generic drugs by 12.5% this year and by fixing public reimbursement rates for off-patent medicines from 2011 onwards according to the cheapest alternatives. Spain, Germany, Portugal and Greece have all cut generic drug prices, while tender protocols based on the cheapest alternatives was pioneered by Germany. Analysts say …