State Schemes Agree To Median Price: Thailand

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PUBLIC HEALTH

State schemes agree to median price

DUANGKAMOL SAJIRAWATTANAKUL

THE NATION

Move to control cost of medicines and keep national expenses down

BANGKOK: -- Agencies responsible for the Kingdom's three main health programmes yesterday inked an agreement to develop a median-price list for medication and other medical supplies.

This move is part of the government's efforts to better control the cost of public health, which currently accounts for 13 to 14 per cent of the national budget. The government fully covers the universal-healthcare scheme and Civil Servants Medical Benefits Scheme (CSMBS). It also pays for about a third of the health services provided under the social-security scheme.

These three programmes will be working with a median-price list under the agreement, which was sealed yesterday.

"We have found that the price of medicines has risen by 111 per cent from 2003 to 2010." National Health Security Office (NHSO) secretary-general Dr Winai Sawasdivorn said. The NHSO is in charge of the universal-healthcare scheme.

TOO MUCH BURDEN

Winai said that control was necessary otherwise the cost of public health would be too heavy a burden for the government to bear in the future.

Rangsan Sriworasart, director general of the Comptroller General's Department (CGD), however, insisted that this new pricing method would not force a reduction of services provided under the CSMBS.

"We will just try to buy medicines and medical supplies at a more reasonable price," he said.

He cited the cost of the Immunoglobulin G (IVIG) medication, for which NHSO paid just Bt4,000, while it cost CSMBS Bt12,000.

"Therefore, we are going to adopt the median-price list," he |said, adding that it would be officially announced on the CSMBS website.

"All stakeholders including drug manufacturers will be consulted," Rangsan said, adding this would also eradicate the practice of sales representatives from drug companies offering doctors commissions in exchange for large orders for expensive medicines.

According to Rangsan, random checks of patients' records at hospitals allowed CGD to get Bt50 million back last year from medicines prescribed by doctors under CSMBS without sound reason.

Winai said the median-price list would start with seven expensive medicines before it is expanded to cover more items.

"When we negotiate on behalf of the three programmes, we should be able to get a very reasonable price from the suppliers," Winai said.

He said the cost of the country's health services now accounted for 4.3 or 4.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Between 2003 and 2010, the cost jumped by 9.8 per cent while the country's GDP only showed a 5.8 per cent growth. Authorities have therefore tried to better manage the cost of public health.

Medicines under control

The following medicines will be included in the median-price list initially:

Letrozole for breast cancer;

Immunoglobulin G (IVIG) for auto-immune disorders such as Kawasaki disease;

Docetaxel for lung cancer;

Botulinum toxin type A for cervical dystonia;

Leuprorelin for hormone-related disorders;

Liposomal amphothericin B for severe fungi infection;

Verteporfin for age-related macular degeneration.

-- The Nation 2012-02-22