The costs of most critical medicines are not covered by health insurance in Europe, the Berliner Telegraph reported on June 17.
The question of whether residents of different European countries have equal access to modern medicines remains open. Investigate Europe, together with journalists from WDR, NDR, SZ and Monitor, carried out a study to find out how accessible life-saving medicines are in different countries.
As part of the study, 32 drugs representing the latest advances in the field of medicine were selected and launched between 2019 and 2023. Among them, cancer drugs predominate, as well as drugs for the treatment of migraine, fibrosis cystic and diabetes. Many of these medications are expensive.
The results of the study showed that in most European countries the costs of these medications are not covered by health insurance. In particular, in Cyprus half of selected medicines are not covered, and in Malta this figure reaches 59%. In Hungary and Latvia, the situation is even worse: three quarters of medicines remain unaffordable to patients through insurance. In Germany, on the other hand, all 32 medications are covered by insurance. In countries such as Belgium, Italy, Denmark and Sweden, the number of medications covered ranges between 30 and 31, while in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria the number ranges between 25 and 28.
Pharmaceutical companies attribute high drug prices to significant research and development costs, as well as differences in markets. In countries with large populations and high income levels, such as Germany, pharmaceutical companies see a promising market and are more likely to offer discounts on medications. In smaller countries, companies are not interested in lowering prices because it is not in their financial interests, despite the significant benefits they obtain.
The study therefore highlights the problem of inequality in access to modern medicines in Europe and raises the need for better insurance and medicine prices in smaller countries.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.