Meeting abstract
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF OUTPATIENT DRUG EXPENDITURE IN LAST NINE YEARS IN POŽEŠKO-SLAVONSKA COUNTY
Sandro Gašpar
orcid.org/0000-0001-8941-1831
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Republic of Croatia
Iva Hižar
orcid.org/0000-0002-8300-4095
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Republic of Croatia
Marjeta Majer
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Republic of Croatia
Abstract
Introduction: Outpatient drug expenditure takes an important place in overall financing of healthcare for whole population. There is present constant increase in the cost of drugs in the world, as well as in Republic of Croatia, so the financing becomes a major burden on state budgets and health insurances. There are many reasons in increased drug consumption during last years, such as aging of population, increased number of chronic patients, the introduction of new drugs, and widening of indications of existing drugs.
Methods: We analyzed the trend of drug costs of outpatients in Požega-Slavonia County during last nine years. The data used for this analysis was published at the web site of The Agency for medical products and medical devices of Republic of Croatia (HALMED).
Results: According to the available data on outpatient drug consumption for Požega-Slavonia County in period from 2009 – 2017, drugs which are classified by anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification into group of drugs for cardiovascular system, nervous system and alimentary tract and metabolism took more than 60% of the total costs for outpatient drugs, respectively. The relative share of costs for drugs classified into group for alimentary tract and metabolism showed an increasing tendency (from 14% in 2009 to 19% in 2017) as well as the relative share of costs for drugs for blood and blood forming organs (from 2% in 2009 to 4% in 2017). On the same time, the relative share for group of drugs for cardiovascular system (from 29% in 2009 to 24% in 2017) and drugs for systemic infections (form 7% in 2009 to 4% in 2017) showed a tendency of decreasing.
Comparison of the data showed a sudden drop in the absolute amount of costs of outpatient drug consumption in Požega-Slavonia County at the transition from 2014 to 2015. The total cost of outpatient drug spending in 2014 was 92.211.673,00 HRK, while in 2015 was 42.104.041,00 HRK. In the period from 2009 to 2014 the median of cost of outpatient drugs was 104.331.362,00 HRK, while median of outpatient drug cost from 2015 to 2017 was 42.674.757,00 HRK. Comparison of outpatient drug consumption trends for the same period in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Istra County, Međimurje County and in the City of Zagreb do not show the drop in the total cost of outpatient drugs, they show the increase of costs.
Conclusion: Data analysis showed that in Požega-Slavonia County there was a sharp drop in the costs of outpatient drug consumption in 2015 compared to 2014. The relative share of costs for a particular group of drugs according to ATC classification has not changed scientifically during last nine years. Compared to Požega-Slavonia County other four counties in Republic of Croatia recorded a slight increase in costs for outpatients during last nine years. Further research is needed to determine the possible cause of such a result in the Požega-Slavonia County.
Keywords
drug costs; outpatient care; health expenditure
Hrčak ID:
218584
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2018.
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