Serbia cuts patient co‑payments for 18 new prescription drugs

From 17 August 2024, Serbia’s health system will subsidise 18 new prescription medicines. The government will cover 70 % of the price for 16 oral anticoagulants used to prevent stroke and embolism, and a large share of the cost for two heart‑failure drugs that are also diabetes treatments. Patients’ out‑of‑pocket payments will fall from roughly 1,700‑6,000 dinars per pack to about 600‑1,100 dinars for the anticoagulants, and from 2,500‑4,500 dinars to around 1,700 dinars for the heart‑failure medicines.

Opposition MP Dragan Delić criticised the policy, asking why citizens still pay for medicines when officials claim health care is free. He noted the government’s plan to reduce co‑payment rates from a maximum of 90 % to 50 % over the next year, a move that will cost about €80 million. Delić compared Serbia’s per‑patient drug spending (€136 annually) with higher levels in Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Hungary, and suggested additional funding sources such as taxes on alcohol, tobacco or gambling.