The impact of changes in national prescribing conditions for statins on their public expenditure and utilization in the Czech Republic 1997–2013

• Published in: Health policy (Amsterdam) Vol. 119; no. 9; pp. 1255 - 1264
• Main Authors: Fuksa, Leos, Vocelka, Milan, Vytrisalova, Magda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-09-2015
• Subjects: Appropriations and expenditures; Atorvastatin Calcium - economics; Atorvastatin Calcium - therapeutic use; Consumption; Cost; Czech Republic; Drug Costs - statistics & numerical data; Drug pricing; Drug Substitution - economics; Drug utilization; Drugs; Health administration; Health insurance; Health insurance reimbursement; Health Policy - economics; HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - economics; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Insurance, Health - economics; Internal Medicine; Markets; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - economics; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data; Prices; Regulation; Reimbursement Mechanisms - economics; Simvastatin - economics; Simvastatin - therapeutic use; Statins; Treatment costs; Drug pricing; Health insurance reimbursement; HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors; Treatment costs; Statins; Drug utilization
• ISSN: 0168-8510; 1872-6054
• DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2015.02.016

Highlights • The evolution of statin market in the Czech Republic from 1990s to 2013 was analyzed. • Changes in utilization, expenditure and reimbursement prices and prescribing conditions of statins were evaluated. • The utilization rose from 2 DDD/TID to 96 DDD/TID while the public expenditure rose 5.5-fold between 1997 and 2013. • The utilization rose significantly after allowing prescription, initially specialist-restricted, for GPs. • The reimbursement price strongly decreased with the coming of generics, namely of simvastatin in 2001 and atorvastatin in 2004.