Hanoi (VNA) - The national centralised bidding for 20 types of drugscovered by health insurance has helped save 251.13 billion VND (10.9 millionUSD) on drugs, said Duong Tuan Duc, director of the Centre for Health InsuranceAppraisal and Multi-level Payments in the North under Vietnam Social Security.
Thetotal price of 20 bid-winning drugs was 935.99 billion VND (40.7 million USD),down 21.12 percent compared to the average drug bidding price of last year.
Inthe fourth quarter of last year, Vietnam Social Security invited bids to select2018’s drug suppliers of five active substances with total value of more than 1trillion VND (43.5 million USD).
Fivepatent medicines and 15 types of generic drugs won the bidding.
Thebidding helped reduce drug prices by 13.82 percent on average for patentedmedicines and 33.81 percent for generic drugs compared to the prices ofprovincial bidding in 2017.
Amongthe five winning patent medicines, the prices of Meropenem 500mg and Meropenem1g experienced the biggest plunge (15 percent).
Notably,price of domestically-manufactured Levofloxacin 500mg (generic) of group 3(manufactured following the World Health Organisation’s Good manufacturingpractice) plunged by 54.7 percent.
Thecentralised bidding shattered the concept that patented drugs are exclusive andtheir prices never fall, Duc said.
Inthe first ever national trial centralised drug bidding, the Vietnam SocialSecurity worked with the ministries of planning and investment, health,finance, local health departments and healthcare facilities covered by healthinsurance, Duc said.
Biddingwinners committed to ensuring drug quality and supply to serve patients, hesaid.
Throughthe bidding, Vietnam Social Security contributed to removing inappropriate drugbidding plans and identifying abnormally high drug prices, as well asdifferences in content and prices of drug groups.
VietnamSocial Security asked bidders to show documents to prove their drug supplycommitment. The agency will supervise drug supply and use them at healthcarefacilities via the health insurance supervision information system.
PhamLuong Son, deputy director general of the Vietnam Social Security, said thatthe bidding was conducted successfully, following regulations, ensuringtransparency.
“National drug bidding brings advantages tonot only Vietnam Social Security but also public and healthcare facilities,” hesaid.
Hesaid that the bidding has fulfilled two goals. The first is to ensure enoughdrugs of high quality. The second one is to reduce drug prices, especially theprice of patent medicines.
Ifthere is anything found not transparent and open in the bidding process, thoseresponsible will be fined without exception, he said. - VNA
Thetotal price of 20 bid-winning drugs was 935.99 billion VND (40.7 million USD),down 21.12 percent compared to the average drug bidding price of last year.
Inthe fourth quarter of last year, Vietnam Social Security invited bids to select2018’s drug suppliers of five active substances with total value of more than 1trillion VND (43.5 million USD).
Fivepatent medicines and 15 types of generic drugs won the bidding.
Thebidding helped reduce drug prices by 13.82 percent on average for patentedmedicines and 33.81 percent for generic drugs compared to the prices ofprovincial bidding in 2017.
Amongthe five winning patent medicines, the prices of Meropenem 500mg and Meropenem1g experienced the biggest plunge (15 percent).
Notably,price of domestically-manufactured Levofloxacin 500mg (generic) of group 3(manufactured following the World Health Organisation’s Good manufacturingpractice) plunged by 54.7 percent.
Thecentralised bidding shattered the concept that patented drugs are exclusive andtheir prices never fall, Duc said.
Inthe first ever national trial centralised drug bidding, the Vietnam SocialSecurity worked with the ministries of planning and investment, health,finance, local health departments and healthcare facilities covered by healthinsurance, Duc said.
Biddingwinners committed to ensuring drug quality and supply to serve patients, hesaid.
Throughthe bidding, Vietnam Social Security contributed to removing inappropriate drugbidding plans and identifying abnormally high drug prices, as well asdifferences in content and prices of drug groups.
VietnamSocial Security asked bidders to show documents to prove their drug supplycommitment. The agency will supervise drug supply and use them at healthcarefacilities via the health insurance supervision information system.
PhamLuong Son, deputy director general of the Vietnam Social Security, said thatthe bidding was conducted successfully, following regulations, ensuringtransparency.
“National drug bidding brings advantages tonot only Vietnam Social Security but also public and healthcare facilities,” hesaid.
Hesaid that the bidding has fulfilled two goals. The first is to ensure enoughdrugs of high quality. The second one is to reduce drug prices, especially theprice of patent medicines.
Ifthere is anything found not transparent and open in the bidding process, thoseresponsible will be fined without exception, he said. - VNA
VNA
