Klin Farmakol Farm. 2009;23(2):90-96

Effect of drug budgets on drug prescription in Czech Republic in 2006

Michal Prokeš, Josef Suchopár

INFOPHARM a.s., Praha

Administrative interventions issued by Ministry of Health in Czech Republic in 2006 made physicians to save money on drug prescription

more than in other years. While yearly growth of drug expenses and drug consumptions (in defined daily doses/1000 inhabitants/day)

in 2001–2005 where +9 %, respectively +5 %, in 2006 these numbers where -8,7 %, respektively -7,4 % and in 2007 +13,9 %, respektively

+22,9 %. The analysis of four therapeutically important drug groups and four less important drug groups discovered decline of consumption

in 2006 and increase of consumption in 2007 in all of them (with a few exceptions). From these findings authors presume that

therapeutical importance of drugs is not allways priority (or is not recognised) when physicians decide whether to prescribe or not to

prescribe drugs during finantial distress. It appears to be advisable to educate physicians which drugs can be easily omited and which

not in order to prevent worsening of quality of prescribing and quality of health care provided to patients before strict drug budgets

are to be applied again.

Keywords: drug consumptions in Czech Republic, regulations of drug expences, support of rational pharmacotherapy.

Published: July 1, 2009  Show citation