Insalud Takes More Cost Control Measures

Insalud in Spain is implementing more measures to control pharmaceutical expenditure. The national health institute service is sending out letters to Spain's 13,000 general practitioners telling them how much their individual prescribing habits cost the institute.

Doctors each have a number on their prescriptions which allows the Health Ministry to track their prescribing. This tracking method was started up in 1993 as a pilot scheme and forms part of the information system for rational drug use, according to comments to Spanish newspaper Cinco Dias by an Insalud spokesperson.

The spokesperson said that scheme is not designed to track costs but to help the identification of therapeutic profiles. However, many doctors have commented that the information has made them more aware of expenditure and they are beginning to prescribe cheaper products.