ALTERNATIVE SPANISH DRUG REFORM PLAN LAUNCHED

Spanish opposition politicians have launched an alternative to health reform plans outlined by the government. The rival plan's fundamentals include creating incentives for investment in local production and consumption of generics, "rational" drug use, and new IT-based prescribing systems.

Another generics-friendly plan is to list drugs according to a combined Spanish and international definition of active principles. The opposition also calls for the decentralisation of local health services.

It appears that the two main parties are now trying to outbid each other in terms of the cost-consciousness of their reform plans for the health sector. Unsurprisingly, the ruling party has opposed the rival plan, alleging that the former government had failed to implement the quality, transparency and objectivity standards now under consideration.

Meanwhile, local association FEPE reports that Spain's drug spending was flat in the first half, and prices are set to continue falling despite a rise in prescriptions. In the period, prescription numbers were just 6.4% higher than the previous year, and although overall costs rose 7.3%, average costs per prescription increased by just 0.8%.