16 de gener 2013

Squeezing the lemon

Now we know that 5% of population has paid one third of pharmaceutical copayments that  started six months ago (one euro per prescription). About 45 m € have been collected. Just now, when a court from outside says that we have to withdraw such a measure. The issue is not about copayment, that is really working as expected, it's about power, about who sets the rules.
From the begining I considered that was a controversial measure. However, my impression is that it's effects will last. The decline in consumption, number of prescriptions, is a historical achievement: 21% in six months!. The question is, has this lower consumption had an impact on health?, if not, we have a serious problem of not taken such a measure before. Nowadays we don't know wether there were fewer prescriptions or less medicines dispensed. This fact is crucial and requires further scrutiny.
Up to now, over six months the top 5% consuming population has paid 36 € per person, it seems a very reasonable amount. The lemon has been squeezed reasonably.

A musical break with Caravan Palace