Oncological patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina single huge money for the purchase of drugs that are not on the list of solidarity fund, which is more expensive in our country than in the countries of the region and beyond.
It is not difficult to go to the pharmacy, but the cure therapy in BiH costs an incredible 11,900 KM for 21 days.
Forty-six-year-old Amira Lukovac from Sarajevo, suffer from breast cancer, from 2023. It is purchasing a medicine in Turkey because it says, double cheaper, or 6,500 marks.
BiH has no strategy what we treat
Dozens are such examples of our most difficult patients across the country, from helping closest, family, borrowing, to address humanitarian organizations, try to collect money for therapy that means extension of life.
Why are medications for oncological patients in BiH so expensive and why the price is in the price with countries in the region and in examples, and several times lower, the Association of Innovative Medicines Association in BiH.
– First of all, BiH does not have a strategy, which we are treating, which we dispose of patients, nor do we have a prediction strategy that we introduce drugs to our patients in programs than responds. We are growing in our year, the number of oncological patients is growing, and this is not monitored by budget programs. It has been absent as more money in health and of course the provisions already adopted that the list of drug solidarity fund must be revised at least once a year as the cantons of regulations must be harmonized with the federal list of medicines. In short, due to the poor quality of medications in the treatment system, patients turn to procurement in pharmacies, and there are prices differently, because pharmacies are subject to margin. On the other hand, the prices of drugs procured by the state are far lower because they are procured through tenders and additional negotiations. In the surrounding countries, due to far lower VAT, their complete regulations and better available medications, because they are not condemned to go to the pharmacy, because they will be gained through regular health care – states Petrović.
VAT on drugs in BiH amounts to an incredible 17 percent, while in neighboring countries, such as Croatia and northern Macedonia, that rate is five percent.
In Slovenia, VAT on drugs is nine and a half, and in Serbia 10 percent.
This fact represents a significant financial burden for BiH citizens, especially if drug prices and average income are taken into account and the living standard of citizens.
– When we talk about commercial drug prices, it is something that prescribed by the state, how much the margin is on medicine, but also all other margins and what is VAT. In the pharmacy, the medicine was placed on the free market and it has ridden hands to put the price. The state prescribed the maximum product prices and no one can circulate the medicine above those prices. I’ll list you a banal example of the market function, you can lunch in the restaurant in the BiH Parliament and eat steak in five or 10 km, but you will enter a restaurant that operates, you will not be able to lunch for that price. In some countries mentioned that our patients are in cheaper to buy medications, there are parallel ways of procuring drugs that belong to semi-controlled imports. In addition, we cannot compare to these countries in number of inhabitants, landscapions … Of course, in such states, when you enter the pharmacy, you can buy medicine at a cheaper price – explains Petrovic.
Whether will among the state parliamentarians to raise the issue of reducing or complete the abolition of VAT on medication, especially those that use the hardest patients.
Denijal Tulumović, representative (SDA) in the BiH House, says that in one of the following sessions of the State Parliament will initiate the issue of reducing or abolishing VAT on drugs for serious suffering.
– I was a patient himself and had the need for such medications. In the previous period, on several occasions I spoke with the former Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Fadil Novalić. The Prime Minister had a will to do so, but he did not have adequate support from the Federal Ministry of Health. I promise to be in the coming period, as much as it is in my power, fight that the issue of abolishing or reducing VAT on drugs run. It is a very important topic, a question that should concern all of us, because no one knows when medications will need him – says Tulumović.
The PDP MP and Member of the Finance Commission and the Budget of Peakić reminded the fact that the Protzeklih government failed to promise the VAT law in terms of the income rate on food, baby equipment, and especially for medication.
– It was an obligation as a representative and indirect taxation administrations (UIO), as the law they are competent to initiate changes. Given that we waited for the new Law on VAT to appear in parliament, which was also one of the obligations of the Board of Directors of the Council of Ministers of BiH, but we see that any smallest initiative from the opposition encounters resistance. We are aware that the same will happen with this initiative if there is no consent of the IOO Board. Law on VAT is simply concreted that cannot be prominent. As soon as we try something, the ruling scared, they say that is less money in the budget – Pekić points out.
He says the goal is to introduce a zero VAT rate to medications, especially those for oncological patients, and part of the revenue in the budget to compensate from increasing excise duties.
– We are talking about discise on tobacco and tobacco products, and we do not talk about alcohol excises, especially on fierce alcoholic beverages where the excise duty is counted on alcohol liter. It should be very much taken to take accounts. Our club will very soon launch suggestions on increasing excise excise duties, which, if we talk about healthy bh. to family and society, a big problem. On the other hand, we have people who are sick and need help. And not only respond at the state level, but also at the level of the entities in whose budgets, certain items should be found to help patients. I will repeat, the opposition twists suggest, but no will, as if the ruling does not hear us – he emphasizes Pekić.
BiH is not expensive in terms of generic drugs
When it comes to Members of Members of Sasa Magazinović (SDP) on the abolition of VAT on donated medications, which passed the BiH Parliament and the Council of Ministers of BiH, it is becoming more likely. In the next three months, it is necessary to prepare a bill and send it to parliament to adoption.
From the Association of Innovative Medicines, two studies that have shown that BiH were made in terms of generic drugs, and that we are more or less with all the drugs from 15 to 20 percent even cheaper.
– Of course, all of this is true if we have a VAT on medicine that is 17 percent that we have the option that if as a pharmaceutical company you know you will not come to the list of solidarity fund, why you would generate that medicine at Market of BiH. You don’t have numbers, you have no prediction that someone will put your medicine or call you a solidarity fund and say: “Let’s negotiate to see how much we can treat patients for the money we have.” No company miss the opportunity to treat the patient. There are a lot of patients on merciful treatment programs, the company treats a person by the time until the remedy is placed on the list. These are the processes that last from three to five years, because no company can say: “We cannot treat you because the state did not put our medicine on the list” – said Petrovic, Transfers Factor.
