Comparing Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies in Croatia and the EU
Author Information
Author(s): Sabine Vogler, Claudia Habl, Martina Bogut, Luka Vončina
Primary Institution: Gesundheit Österreich GmbH / Geschäftsbereich ÖBIG – Austrian Health Institute
Hypothesis
To perform a comparative analysis of the pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement systems in Croatia and the 27 European Union (EU) Member States.
Conclusion
The Croatian pharmaceutical system is similar to those in the EU Member States, applying key policies like external price referencing and reference price systems to ensure access to medicines while containing public pharmaceutical expenditure.
Supporting Evidence
- Pharmaceutical prices are controlled at all levels in Croatia, which is also the case in 21 EU Member States.
- Croatia applies external price referencing, comparing prices with other countries.
- The Croatian Social Insurance reimburses specific medicines at 100%, while patients are charged co-payments for others.
Takeaway
This study looks at how Croatia's medicine pricing and payment systems compare to those in other European countries, showing that they are quite similar.
Methodology
Knowledge about the pharmaceutical systems in Croatia and the 27 EU Member States was acquired by literature review and primary research with stakeholders.
Limitations
The study does not provide answers on the success and failure of specific policy measures implemented in Croatia.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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