State to review drug reimbursements

The State Institute for Drug Control has started comparing the price of medicines in the Czech Republic with those in other EU countries in order to set health insurers' reimbursements according to the lowest EU rate and push Czech pharmaceutical companies to reduce prices. The change is expected to affect mainly patients suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease or depression who will end up paying more in pharmacies. Insurance companies say the money saved will be used to subsidise more expensive drugs.