Each citizen of Montenegro spends 87 euros a month for medicines, both in the private and in the state system, announced the Minister of Health Miodrag Radunović, stating that there is a worrying trend of growth in the consumption of medicines.
The Health Insurance Fund, the Ministry of Health and the Montefarm Pharmacy Institution presented today an analysis of the consumption of medicines that are distributed to public health institutions and pharmacies through the Montefarma wholesaler.
"Each citizen in Montenegro pays 87 euros a month for medicines, either in the private or in the state system," said Radunović.
He stated that when observing this data, the standard of living in Montenegro should be taken into account, and that the average consumption per citizen in Europe is 349 euros, in Croatia 180, and in Serbia 102.
Radunović said that the analysis showed that there is a growing trend in spending on medicines, which is worrying.
"It is mainly spent on cardio-vascular diseases, malignant diseases, metabolic diseases, diabetes, mental health, chronic lung disease and the use of antibiotics," said Radunović.
He said that it is necessary to analyze the work of the 20 doctors who prescribe the most prescriptions.
"The first on that list is the doctor who prescribed 24.840 prescriptions, that is, 86 prescriptions per day, if it is counted that he also works every Saturday," explained Radunović.
He said that there are also insured persons who sell a large number of prescriptions. "On the list of insured persons, one patient received 301 prescriptions," said Radunović.
The analysis showed that there is a practice of irrational prescribing and dispensing of drugs according to their prescribed regimen. "This is important to point out when prescribing antibiotics, at a time of global struggle against growing antibiotic resistance".
"Montenegro has not leapfrogged from the countries of Europe, unfortunately the trend of increasing drug consumption also exists in the countries of the European Union," said Radunović.
The director of the Health Insurance Fund of Montenegro, Kenan Hrapović, said that the analysis of the consumption of medicines and medical devices for the needs of public health, including the refund of the funds that the Fund pays to the insured, indicates a trend of increasing consumption.
"The total consumption of drugs and medical devices delivered through Montefarm for the needs of the public health system in 2013 was slightly over 40 million euros," announced Hrapović.
He said that expenditures for prescription drugs in 2013 amounted to almost 19 million euros, which is an increase of 15 percent compared to 2012, or 13 percent compared to 2011.
"In 2013, expenditures for medicines delivered to health institutions through Montefarm amounted to over 19 million euros, which is six percent more than in 2012, and 14 percent more than in 2011," Hrapović announced.
According to him, based on the analysis of spending in the first quarter of this year, medicines worth almost 13 million euros were delivered for the needs of the public health system, of which six and a half million euros were for medicines delivered to healthcare institutions, and 6,14 million euros for prescription medicines. million euros.
"In 2013, 3.446.382 prescriptions were implemented, or 5,84 prescriptions per insured person, which indicates that the implementation of prescriptions per insured person increased by 2011 percent compared to 28, and by 2012 percent compared to 9,36," announced Hrapović. .
He stated that in 2013, nine packages of medicines were collected per insured person, which is an increase of 2011 compared to 12, and 2012 percent compared to 7,23.
"There is an increase in prescribed prescriptions by doctors in health institutions, which is worrying when you take into account that the number of insured persons did not change significantly in the observed period," Hrapović said.
For certain groups of drugs, a large number of prescriptions were realized in relation to the number of inhabitants, Hrapović assessed.
He explained that this especially applies to drugs from group J (systemic anti-infective drugs, i.e. antibiotics), where the results are such that almost every resident of Montenegro took one prescription from that group of drugs.
"And in the case of medicines from group N (medicines for the central nervous system), where the implementation is such that every adult citizen has implemented one prescription from that group," said Hrapović.
Both groups of drugs are widely used, but such data, he said, insist on control in order to rationalize the use of drugs.
"During 2013, the largest number of prescriptions were issued for the drug diclofenac, every seventh citizen of Montenegro, including minors, used one package of the aforementioned drug, which is used against pain and has an extremely strong effect," announced Hrapović.
According to him, it is necessary that, in addition to the Ministry of Health and the Fund, directors of health institutions and quality control commissions established in health institutions also deal with the control of regulatory policy.
The director of the Montefarm pharmacy institution, Budimir Stanišić, said that when interpreting the financial results of the consumption analysis, it should be borne in mind that Montefarm has reduced its purchase prices in the period of three analyzed years, which means that the consumption is higher by that amount as well.
He said that Montefarm did a comparative analysis of prescription boxes issued through its pharmacies, and that the results of the analysis showed that in the first five months of 2014, 70 thousand more were issued compared to the same period in 2013.
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