More than 120 affordable drugs are taken off the market every year. This is the result of "unbalanced" government policy, says affordable medication association Medaxes.
604 affordable medications have disappeared in the last five years because they are "no longer profitable" to produce, according to Medaxes.
An annual government budget of €5.5 billion is earmarked for reimbursing medication costs via the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI). 40% of these funds go toward general medicine (suitable for 97% of illnesses) while 60% is allocated to patented medication (suitable for just 3% of illnesses).
Medaxes argues that too much money is allocated to patented medication and calls for two separate budgets in order to maintain universal access to affordable medication.
"This race to the bottom must stop as soon as possible, otherwise access to affordable medicines is in jeopardy," stated Medaxes Managing Director Jasmien Coenen. "Since the disappearance of these hundreds of drugs, the taxpayer, and therefore the patient, has been paying around 10% more per dose for comparable alternatives."
"Affordable basic medicines are no longer being put on the market. The situation is becoming absurd and needs to be reviewed."
'Two different envelopes'
Since 2020, the cost of putting a new drug on the market has increased by 80%. In the same period, sales have fallen by 37%. Both fluctuations are due to inflation and a growing scarcity of raw materials.
These factors act as disincentives for drug manufacturers without a patent (which grants the pharmaceutical company a monopoly on production, marketing and profits) and forces consumers to opt for more expensive options.
Coenen says her association is not against the innovation made possible through patents but stresses the "need to ensure that patients are not fooled in the long term by the disappearance from the market of their usual treatment." She urges current government formation negotiations to consider distributing "two different envelopes".
"Not only is our country's population growing, it is also ageing. These two factors underline the importance of maintaining access to basic medicines for years to come," Coenen added.
