Original scientific paper
Trends in Prescribing in Primary Care in Croatia, 2000–2012: Prescribing Volume, Costs and Regulatory Measures
Željko Vojvodić
; Family Practice »Dr. @eljko Vojvodi}«, Bijelo Brdo, Croatia
Darja Nelken-Bestvina
; Family Practice »Dr. Darja Nelken-Bestvina«, Osijek, Croatia
Alma Kurc-Bionda
; Family Practice »Dr. Alma Kurc-Bionda«, Đakovo, Croatia
Danijela Štimac
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, School of Public Health »Andrija [tampar«, Department of Social Medicine and Organization of the Health Care, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The rise of pharmaceutical costs is a significant burden to overall health care expenditure. The Croatian Health Insurance
Fund (CHIF) in attempts of its containment, use administrative measures directed toward the two greatest generators:
pharmaceutical industry, through negotiating prices and periodic revisions of basic and suplemental drug lists,
and primary care physicians, through limits in the volume of prescriptions, and annual financial expenditure. The aim
of the study was to determine trends in quantity of issued prescriptions and pharmaceutical expanditure from 2000 to
2012. Data were obtained from the CHIF annual reports. Results clearly demonstrate two trends: the increase in quantity
of issued prescriptions, together with accompanying rates: number of prescriptions per inhabitants, and per patients,
and the increase in total cost of prescriptions until 2004, with their maintenance and slight variations since then. Despite
controversies in appr
Keywords
number of prescriptions; pharmaceutical spending; cost containment
Hrčak ID:
147529
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2014.
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