The 7.7% drop in net approved pharmaceutical expenditure would be the effect of the national and regional containment measures. With Calabria, Puglia and Campania which have contained their spending up to 15%. These are Agenas data on the trend in the first 9 months of 2011
21 NOV – There was a decrease of 7.7% in net approved pharmaceutical expenditure at national level compared to the same period of 2010. A trend that can be seen throughout the national territory. And it is, "presumably, the effect of the containment measures implemented both at central and regional level". This is the analysis by Agenas, from which the data relating to pharmaceutical expenditure and all its variables of number of prescriptions, discount, gross expenditure, net expenditure (obtained as the difference between gross expenditure, ticket amount and discount amount) in the first nine months of 2011 come from (see tables at the bottom of the page).
A detailed picture, therefore. From which it emerges in fact that, against this decrease, there was a slight increase in the number of prescriptions +0.6% compared to the same period of the previous year, with peaks in the Basilicata region (+6.0%) and in the PA of Bolzano (+4.0%) and in the PA of Trento (3.8%). Among the Regions we also find negative trends such as in Campania (-8.1%), Puglia (-6.1%) and Calabria (-1.2%). These are the Regions affected by repayment plans that have adopted strong measures to contain expenditure, including the increase and remodulation of the ticket.
"If we exclude the data referring to these three Regions from the national average - underlines Agenas - , the average is no more than 0.6%, but stands at an increase in recipes of +2.6% compared to 2010".
Gross contracted pharmaceutical expenditure is also decreasing throughout the territory with -3.7% on average for Italy (except for Molise where an increase of 0.7% is recorded) In the Calabria Region the decrease in gross expenditure in the first nine months of 2011 is -13.2%, followed by Puglia -7.1% and Piedmont -5.4%.
But "the containment of the agreed pharmaceutical expenditure - specifies Agenas - is more evident if we analyze the data of the net expenditure, which represents the pure portion reimbursed by the Health Service of the Regions, after deducting from the gross expenditure the deductions of pharmacies (discount to the NHS and pay back) and the contribution of citizens (sharing and fixed ticket) ". And as stated, the 2011/2010 differential is equal to -7.7%. In particular, Calabria, Puglia and Campania have contained their expenditure up to 15%, compared to the first nine months of last year.
A saving to which, according to Agenas, the ticket (participation and fixed ticket) has contributed in particular, which in these Regions has a percentage weight on gross expenditure exceeding 10%.
Still considering the net pharmaceutical expenditure, two other Regions are above the national average (-7.7%), Veneto with -8.5% and Piedmont -8.2%.
As mentioned, all Regions have an increasing ticket in the first 9 months of 2011, in some cases more than doubled, Puglia + 124% and Campania +112.9%. There are also many Regions that have values above the national average (+36.5%).
The incidence on the gross expenditure of the ticket, in the first 9 months of 2011 compared to the same period last year, shows a constant increase both at national level and between the Regions: it goes from a percentage weight at national level of 7.3% in 2010 to
