Generic drug prices in Switzerland too high
A comparison of prices abroad by santésuisse and Interpharma shows: Swiss drug prices are still significantly too high. Generic drugs cost more than twice as much in Switzerland as abroad, while original preparations are on average 9 to 17 percent more expensive. The measures proposed by the Federal Council to reduce prices must now be implemented without delay, according to the Foundation for Consumer Protection.
The current comparison of prices abroad shows once again that the prices of generic drugs in Switzerland are unjustifiably high. This results in a further Increase in health insurance premiums accepted. Measures are now required, such as the introduction of a reference price system. Under this system, interchangeable generic drugs are grouped together and a price is set for each group, which is then reimbursed by the health insurance fund. Anyone who demands a more expensive drug without a medical reason must pay the difference to the reference price.
Sara Stalder, Executive Director of the Foundation for Consumer Protection, explains: "There is no sensible reason why we should pay more than twice as much for generic drugs as our neighboring countries. To avoid additional premium increases, a reference price system must be introduced now without further delay."
Painful sales losses for pharmaceutical companies
René Buholzer, Managing Director of Interpharma, lamented: "With the 2017 round of price cuts, savings amounting to 190 million francs were decreed, which means painful sales losses for the pharmaceutical companies. In addition, further price cuts resulted in further savings of 105 million Swiss francs. This is reflected in the narrowing price differential with the basket of countries, which has virtually disappeared with a now significantly weaker Swiss franc."
Price difference from abroad up to 52 percent
The comparison of patent-expired originator products and generics is based on the approximately 250 best-selling patent-expired active ingredients. The prices of the patent-expired originator products in Switzerland were 17% higher than the average for the comparator countries. For generics, the price difference compared to other countries is 52%. Generics in Switzerland are thus still more than twice as expensive as the average of the comparator countries. Verena Nold, Director of santésuisse, says about this: "Anyone who buys a medicine abroad on vacation finds that it is usually much cheaper than here. santésuisse is therefore calling for prices for medicines without patent protection to be adjusted to those abroad and for a new pricing system to be introduced and enforced quickly. This would enable savings of several hundred million francs for generics alone."
For the ninth time, the health insurance association santésuisse and Interpharma, the industry association of the research-based pharmaceutical industry, have jointly carried out a foreign price comparison of medicines. In the process, the ex-factory prices in Switzerland were compared with those in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden for patent-protected and patent-expired drugs as well as generics. For patent-protected preparations, the prices from May 2018 were compared; for patent-expired original products and generics, the prices from March 2018 were compared.
Sources:
Foundation for Consumer Protection
Price comparison for off-patent originals and generics
