Drug Prices Up In Poland This Month

In Poland, prices of domestically-produced, state-subsidized drugs rose13% on July 1, the only price rise this year, reports the PAP news agency. State subsidies cover 30% of all medicines in Poland, of which 50% are Polish-made. 1.86 billion zlotys ($568.7 million)will be spent this year on refunding the costs of purchased drugs.

Meantime, the Polish parliament (Sejm) has passed three key bills to reform the social security system. They provide for using the proceeds from the privatization of state companies to finance reforms envisaged for 1999. The bills need Senate approval before September's elections.

- Zbigniew Halat, ex-Polish Deputy Health Minister and head of the Consumer Medical Center, has claimed that certain over-the-counter drugs contain carcinogenic substances.