The cost of pills to the healthcare sector has halved over the past 15 years, according to figures released on Tuesday by the prescription monitoring body SFK.

Prices have dropped an average 3% to 4% each year, says the SFK. So far in 2012 prices have fallen 1.4%.
The organisation gives several reasons for the price decrease. The law on medicine prices introduced in 1996 allows the health minister to set maximum prices twice a year. That law also contains a ‘claw-back’ clause obliging dispensing chemists to pay the government part of the cost of the medicine they buy in. This has encouraged chemists to look for cheaper alternatives.
Voluntary price decreases by the pharmaceutical industry and the preference of health insurers have also pushed down prices, says the SFK.