Comparative analysis of the access to pharmaceuticals in selected east European countries

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work is to evaluate the access to pharmaceuticals and system in three European neighboring countries (Slovenia, Bulgaria and Serbia) by the selected indica- tors. METHODS: Retrospective study for the period 2003–2006 year. Source of data was publicly available and the indicators refer to population, market value, value per inhabitant, the number of pharmacies and the number of pharmacists. RESULTS: Slovenia has a pharmaceutical market accounting for €407 millions and 5.9 pharmacists per 10,000 inhabitants in 2003 (1,996,773 inhabitants). The number of pharmacists slowly increases to 6.9 and 7.0 per 10,000 inhabitants till 2005, but pharmacies remain almost constant at around 270 and the majority of them (about 71%) are publicly owned. The Bulgarian drug market accounts approximately for €300 millions at manu- facturing price in 2006 and number of pharmacists is increasing from 7.1 to 7.7 per 10,000 inhabitants in 2004 and 2005. All of the Bulgarian community pharmacies are private and are perma- nently increasing from 4210 into 4631 till 2006. The Serbian pharmaceutical market has been estimated at €308 million but number of pharmacists is the lowest ones accounting for 2.5, 2.6, and 2.5 per 10,000 inhabitants, in 2003, 2004, and 2005, respec- tively. In Serbia majority of pharmacies (77%) are private ones but there is also a strong governmental sector of 568 pharmacies dispensing the reimbursement medicines. The market value per inhabitant is €42 in Bulgaria, €41 in Serbia and 157 EUR in Slovenia. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that in all three countries simultaneously with the development of the market, is also changing the pharmaceutical system by increasing the number of facilities and pharmacist. It could mean that access to medicines is improving but it is still lower in value terms per inhabitant in comparison with the economically developed countries.