Heated debate on Japan's plan for once-yearly revision of NHI drug prices

Representatives from the medical provider and payment sides in Japan's Chuikyo (Central Social Medical Insurance Council) opposed a plan to introduce annual revisions of national health insurance drug price by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare at its expert committee meeting on NHI drug price on July 12.

The expert committee agreed on December 16, 2005, "the outline of the 2006 reform of the NHI drug pricing system," which said that Chuikyo will continue to discuss the method to revise NHI drug pricing including the frequency of doing so, which is now conducted biennially.

Therefore, the Ministry has tried to start the discussion as previously scheduled, by setting up two hearings of representatives from the pharmaceutical industry organizations, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Association (EFPIA), the Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan and the Federation of Japan Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Association at the end of this month and early August.