Consumption of drugs in Slovenia

摘要

Slovenia differs from other European countries by the absence of participation (fixed co-payment) in the health care system. With universal compulsory health insurance provided by Health Insurance Institute (HII) and additional voluntary top-on co-insurance, all reimbursed prescriptions are free of charge. The drug list is comparable to most affluent European countries; the same holds for the consumption of drugs with an exception of antibiotics, which is in the lowest third in Europe. In the period 2002-10, the consumption of drugs increased by 5.3 % (3.3 to 8.6 %) yearly. A study showed that in 2004, 54 per 1000 inhabitants aged 65 years or more received 10 or more drugs on the ATC level 4, whereas in 2009, the prevalence was 82 per 1000, which represents a 52 % increase. With a recently established on-line access for physicians and pharmacists to all dispensed prescription drugs, polypharmacy is easier to detect and manage. Polyp-harmacy is in the centre of educational and auditing activities. In this paper, the role of the clinical pharmacologist in the health insurance system is described as well.