Serbian Assistant Health Minister: Over 2.5 million households to save on medicines

More than 2.5 million households in Serbia are set to significantly reduce their spending on medications, thanks to a government initiative to lower prescription drug prices. Nebojša Tasić, Assistant Minister of Health, announced that the state will absorb the largest portion of the costs associated with this measure.

“

Citizens who previously had a participation in paying for therapies from 20 to 40 percent will now have a participation of 10 percent, those with participation from 50 to 90 percent will have less participation up to 40 percent.

The decision primarily impacts drugs on the A1 list of prescription medications, where patient co-payments previously ranged from 10% to 90%. For individuals who paid between 20% and 40% for their therapies, their contribution will now be reduced to 10%. Those who previously paid between 50% and 90% will see their co-payment drop to a maximum of 40%. Tasić explained that this translates to a reduction in out-of-pocket expenses from 1,700 to 6,000 dinars down to just 700 to 900 dinars for certain medications.

These savings, calculated on a monthly and annual basis, are expected to provide substantial financial relief to over 2.5 million households. The affected medications are crucial for treating conditions related to the cardiovascular, nervous, genitourinary, and respiratory systems, as well as antineoplastics and hormonal preparations.

“

This means that citizens will pay only 700 to 900 dinars for certain medications they previously paid between 1,700 and 6,000 dinars.

While the price reduction is currently limited to one year, Tasić emphasized that this is just the beginning of efforts to enhance health and social security for all citizens. He stated that such actions are characteristic of a responsible government committed to working in the citizens' best interests.

“

This is only the beginning of the work on ensuring greater health and social security for all citizens.