Italy's Farmindustria backs govt over late payments

The Italian research-based pharmaceutical association, Farmindustria, has issued a statement supporting the government's move to speed up  public sector payments of invoices. The Campania region in particular  has an average settlement time of 407 days, while the national average  is 231 days.

Sergio Dompe, president of the drugmakers' group, said: "it is important  to clarify an issue that is so sensitive to all the supplier companies  of goods and services to the SSN [state health care system]." He noted  that public administrations in Italy are far slower to pay invoices than  most of their European counterparts, which Mr Dompe added puts a strain  on drugmakers who depend for much of their income on prices that are  negotiated with the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA).