The NHIA announced this year’s drug price adjustment, which affects 5511 drug items.  This operation includes a price cut on 5475 items and a price increase in 36 items.  The prices of the rest 8579 drug items are not affected.  Huang Yu-Wen, an NHIA official, said that drug companies could appeal for a review within two weeks of the announcement.  The NHIA is going to publish the final drug price list in mid-March and implement it in April.

According to Huang Yu-Wen, this year, the number of drug items subject to a price cut has been reduced from over 6000 to 5475.  The total amount of the cut is estimated to be NT$8.18 billion, which will be directed to the NHI global budget to pay for new drugs and to expand the scope of reimbursement so as to benefit more patients with severe conditions.

The “Drug Expenditure Target” system was introduced in 2013, but due to the impact of the pandemic, drug prices have not been adjusted for two years.  This year’s price cut actually affects fewer items than previous operations as the NHIA intends to soften the overall impact on drug companies, hospitals and the society. 

Facing the drug shortage problem, the NHIA, for the first time, offers price protection for instruction drugs.  However, healthcare professionals reckoned that the long-term solution is to remove instruction drugs from the NHI Benefit Scheme.  Legislator Wang Wan-Yu (New Power Party) strongly requested the MHOW to draw up a specific timetable for the exit of instruction drugs from the NHI.  Hsueh Jui-Yuan, the MOHW Minister, said that he could not promise a full-scale exit of the instruction drugs; but the authority will gradually reduce the reimbursement scope and formulate appropriate regulations on NHI-reimbursed instruction drugs. The MOHW Minister promised to produce a report within 1 or 2 months.

【2023-03-02 / United Daily】