FLORENCE - DEAR DRUGS: at a time when Federfarma protests, considering it a further blow to pharmacies after the liberalization of the sale of over-the-counter medicines in supermarkets, because Coop has recently launched its low-cost aspirin on the market at the price of two euros, the Tar lends a hand to the Region in containing pharmaceutical expenditure, rejecting the appeals presented by seven industries against the decision to limit the use of some medicines. In fact, the judges rejected the appeals presented in 2006 by the Malesci Istituto Farmacobiologico, the Laboratori Guidotti, the Istituto Luso Farmaco d'Italia, Firma, the Menarini Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite, the Sanofi Aventis and the Bristol-Myers Squibb against the Region and the Local Health Authorities of Lucca-Valle del Serchio, of Siena-Val di Chiana, of Arezzo and of Empoli Valdelsa-Valdarno. m IN CONTEST with the resolution of the regional council in which it was arranged to limit the pharmaceutical expenditure charged to the regional health service, also on the basis of national provisions which require each region not to exceed the ceiling of 13%. In particular, the use of some drugs produced by the seven pharmaceutical companies was limited. According to the judges, the decree law 347 does not attribute, as argued by the company lawyers, a new power to the Regions, but binds them to achieve certain objectives. The Region has therefore only fulfilled a legal obligation, dictating directives to the general directors of the respective health agencies. La Nazione of 12/06/2008, article by Alberto gavazzeni ed. national p. 18
