Japan plans to reduce drug prices
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has confirmed plans to reduce government-set prices of original drugs once generic products become available.
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has confirmed plans to reduce government-set prices of original drugs once generic products become available.
The aim is to reduce government subsidies under the public health insurance program by an estimated ¥150bn. The ministry revises drug prices under the insurance scheme once every two years, and currently, generic product prices are not included in the calculations.
Under the proposed system, which will come into force from 30 April, 2006, the price of an original drug would be calculated by adjusting for its market share. For example, a drug that costs ¥100 and has a 70% market share, compared with a generic version that costs ¥50 and has a 30% market share, would have its government-set price reduced to ¥85.