Spanish Government wants to save 1.5 billion Euro on health

Spanish Government wants to save 1.5 billion Euro on health
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By h.b. - Mar 18, 2010 - 8:02 PM
The savings will be made by turning to the cheapest medicaments

Minister for Health, Trinidad Jiménez, at the meeting on Thursday - EFE

The Ministry of Health has said it wants to see savings of 1.5 billion € in pharmaceutical costs, and at a meeting with the health regions on Thursday, Minister Trinidad Jiménez, said she only wanted the health service to pay for the cheapest generic version of any drug, and the use of the cheapest medicament provided its efficiency had been proved.

Such savings are likely to be enforced by royal decree, and were revealed after the meeting by Mercedes Roldós, the health delegate for the Canaries. Other reports speak of plans to bring all spending on medicines across the regional health services into one central place.

In addition the Minister has proposed a global wage freeze from now and in the future other proposals on a cohesion health fund. Indications are that the regions are prepared to cut costs in this way.

The text of the measure could be approved as early as tomorrow in the regular Friday cabinet meeting.

Last year the health service in Spain spent 12,506,217,283 € and 92 cents on prescriptions alone.

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