Naslov
Impact of Medicine Policy on Health Outcomes in Croatia

Autori
Vitezić, Dinko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, stručni

Izvornik
The 4th National Conference on Medicine Policy with International Participation, Abstract Book / - , 2008

Skup
The 4th National Conference on Medicine Policy with International Participation

Mjesto i datum
Bratislava, Slovačka, 24.11.2008. - 25.11.2008

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Pozvano predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Nije recenziran

Ključne riječi
national medicine policy; National Strategy on Healthcare Development; drug pricing; control of prescribing; drug reimbursement policies

Sažetak
Croatia is a middle European and Mediterranean country with 4.4 million inhabitants. In the process of accession to European Union Croatia harmonized and adopted their legal framework which regulates different aspects in the field of drugs. The main objectives of national medicine policy in Croatia are incorporated in the National Strategy on Healthcare Development 2006-2011 which is approved by the Croatian Parliament and published in the Official Gazette in June, 2006. According to this document medicine policy consists of the following: • to ensure timely, continuous and rational drug availability and justified treatment with efficacious, safe and high quality drugs, • to ensure availability of new and efficacious innovative drugs, • to conduct pharmaco-therapeutical care as a medical process based on evidence (EBM), in order to ensure principles of excellence, rationality and safety, with the requirement for evaluation of treatment efficacy, • to introduce “ pharmaceutical care” concept, accepted and valued WHO model of pharmacy services into Croatian healthcare system, • to develop and introduce, during the computerization of healthcare, the following systems: drug prescription and delivery, drug consumption and treatment outcomes monitoring and elimination of drug interactions and medication errors, • to introduce price calculation controls and overall rationalization of prices by means of essential and supplementary reimbursement lists, to manage expenses and overall pharmaco-therapeutical care, • to develop quality standards and distribution excellence for drugs, • to educate and inform, continuously and objectively, healthcare professionals about drugs and principles of pharmaco-therapeutical care, • to encourage, by means of education and other stimulation programs, patients for justified and adequate use of prescribed medicines with the main goal to improve the quality of their lives, • to find ways to introduce payment of administration fees and co-payments, which will, in addition to other measures, inform consumers about prices of drugs and will give the consumer the possibility to choose medicinal products of the same efficacy but more rational, • to ensure publication of up to date pharmaco-therapeutical manuals, and consider the possibility for regular and more frequent publishing of bulletins. Because a considerable part of the health budget is drugs expenditure (13-15%) the focus of medicine policy is on drugs pricing, reimbursement and rational use of drugs. Health care and medicine reform has been an ongoing process in Croatia and during the past period different methods of prescribing control have been introduced (drug pricing, control of prescribing, drug reimbursement policies). The primary goal is how to adjust drug budget of National Insurance Company (Positive drug list) with real financial expenditure. Changes in drug-reimbursement policies with a better access to efficacious medications have a potentially positive effect on patient outcomes. Examples of cardiovascular diseases and rare diseases are used to demonstrate how these changes in medicine policy potentially influence health outcomes in Croatia. This also shows how important is organized drug consumption and outcome monitoring. During the next year new changes in medicine policy (part of the new health reform) are expected in Croatia, so there is a need for close collaboration with professionals and experts before introducing a new policy. The result will be maximum health benefits for the patients in accordance with evidence-based best practice appropriate to the financial resources of Croatia.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita

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