Generic cost of 6.95 Swiss francs less – but no one wills

The pharmaceutical industry is not tired to emphasize, that the original drugs in Switzerland today are only slightly more expensive than abroad. Currently, the difference is seven percent. The new foreign prices, the industry Association Interpharma together with Santésuisse, the umbrella organisation of Swiss health insurance companies, today in Bern.

The two associations compared to the Swiss prices of the 250 most successful health insurance agents drugs with those in nine European countries. Including major markets such as Germany, France or the UK – but also countries like Austria, Belgium or the Netherlands, the markets in Switzerland are to be compared to.

The study, which is already carried out for the tenth Time, noted that the gap of the price differences between Switzerland and foreign countries is small. Drugs were in the year 2018 with an average of two percent less expensive than 2017. René Buholzer, managing Director of inter-Pharma, expects that the price reductions have enabled savings worth 325 million Swiss francs.

The price approaches, however, apply only to certain medicines. Generic drugs, called generics, for example, in Switzerland, on average, twice as expensive as abroad. This is one of the reasons why, in Switzerland, such medications continue to be much less used as the original products.

Verena Nold, Director of Santésuisse, says: "In the case of generics is still much more you can save." It expects less expenditure of several Hundred million Swiss francs – with no loss of quality – and calls for regulatory measures by the Federal government, for example, with the introduction of a reference price system. After that, would be fixed by the state, how much the health insurance would have to pay for patent expired medicines and generic drugs with the same active ingredient. The Insured wants a more expensive medicine must pay the difference.

Santésuisse calculates how in such a System a lot of money can be saved. For example, when pain medication Dafalgan. 100 film-coated Tablets à 1g cost of 25.50 Swiss francs. The in effect identical product Paracetamol Sandoz 1g is in the same quantity to 6.95 francs less. However, despite the significantly higher price Dafalgan is a lot more popular From this drug last year were sold around 900'000 packs for 23.1 million francs; that of Paracetamol 1g, in contrast, only 65'000 packs for 1.2 million Swiss francs. Had all of the insured's sick relative, the cheaper drug would have caused the 7.4 million Swiss francs less cost. Dafalgan 1g costs per 100 PCs 25.50 Swiss francs; the impact of same Paracetamol 1g only 18.65 francs.

Why bought still the more expensive product is sometimes a Problem with the current system: Doctors and pharmacies are in percentage terms involved in the sale of the drugs. This means that The more expensive a product, the better for your cash.

This is also reflected in the continuously rising cost of the medicines. At the end of 2008, the Insured spent an average of 609 francs for drugs; by the end of 2018, there were 819 Swiss francs. This is an increase of 34.5 percent.

(Tages-Anzeiger)

Created: 16.04.2019, 09:30 PM