Liberalisation establishing a pharmacy to be limited in Hungary?

2010-03-09

Fidesz, the biggest Hungarian opposition party, and the Hungarian Chamber of Pharmacists (MGYK) have suggested limitations on the liberalisation of establishing a pharmacy in Hungary.
According to Imre Pesti, Fidesz member, as a result of liberalisation there are too many pharmacies in the country, and the situation of 500 pharmacies located in rural areas is critical. As Central Europe Pharma News reported on a previous occasion, over the last three years, the number of pharmacies in Hungary has increased from 412 to 2,407, but the number of redeemed prescriptions, 150 million, remained unaltered. Another reason for the pharmacies crisis is the government’s decision to withdraw from this year's budget the non-repayable subsidies for small pharmacies.
The liberalisation of establishing a pharmacy was launched by the Hungarian parliament in 2006. According to the changed regulations, a person no longer has to be a member of MGYK to open a pharmacy. Pharmacies with quarterly incomes (understood as the difference between the purchase price and sale price) from reimbursed medicines in excess of HUF 10m (€39,700) have to pay a 0.5-2% “solidarity fee” to help small loss-making pharmacies. Certain OTC products were allowed to be sold outside of pharmacies.