Drugmakers Increasingly Subsidising OEP

Drugmakers operating in Hungary will have to stump up higher-than-expected levels of subsidies to the National Health Insurance Fund (OEP), based on trends witnessed in the first nine months of 2009. The OEP's annual budget for 2009 projected revenues from pharmaceutical companies - collected via the controversial 12% sales tax on certain products reimbursed by the OEP and fees charged on medical representatives - are HUF35.5bn (US$198mn). However, OEP spokeswoman Barbara Molnar told Reuters that payments are likely to total around HUF40bn

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