ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - Croatian Health Minister Andrija Hebrangdismissed the accusations by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and theCroatian Peasant Party (HSS) in parliament on Thursday that theadoption of amendments to the law on
drugs and medical products wouldlead to an increase of prices of drugs and make the position ofdomestic products more difficult in relation to foreign pharmaceuticalcompanies.
ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - Croatian Health Minister Andrija Hebrang
dismissed the accusations by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Croatian
Peasant Party (HSS) in parliament on Thursday that the adoption of amendments
to the law on drugs and medical products would lead to an increase of prices of
drugs and make the position of domestic products more difficult in relation to
foreign pharmaceutical companies."Drugs will be cheaper because we also adopted a new rule book on drugs
which regulates negotiations on lower prices of drugs with drug producers,"
Hebrang said and announced that the prices of medicines would go down next year
by a total of 300 million kuna.
SDP and HSS deputies said the government-sponsored amendments were aimed
at creating a more favourable atmosphere for foreign drug producers and
preventing local competition.
The amendments are in line with a memorandum on the protection of
intellectual property that Croatia and the United States signed six years
ago.