In January, drug manufacturers prices raised 248 drugs / day

In January, producer prices rose from 0.13% to 150.7%.

According to the SAA data, in January this year, drug manufacturers and their representatives in Latvia have made more prices for medicines than a year ago – in January 2024, prices were raised in 181 medicines and 85 drugs in December. In total, manufacturers had raised prices for more than 800 drugs, according to information compiled by the SAR, in 2024.

As of January 1, 2025, the drug price reform has come into effect, which states that manufacturers will be able to change the price of prescription drugs once a year, but there are no price ceilings. As regards manufacturers’ capabilities to raise prescription drug prices as the only condition, the price of the manufacturer in Latvia cannot be higher than in Lithuania or Estonia. Accordingly, manufacturers can still declare price changes without certain ceilings once a year if they are made in all Baltic countries.

Previously, industry representatives have informed that the price of manufacturers accounts for up to 75-80% of the price of drug sales at the pharmacy, with an average of 10-15% formed by the state prescribed VAT drugs, while the wholesale and retail trade markup, which has been further reduced from 1 January this year.

At the same time, the SAA data also shows that the average price of the packaging declared by drug manufacturers in Latvia has increased in January this year, reaching EUR 11.64. In December, the average price of drug packaging was 10.66 euros. The SAR explains that the increase in the packaging price of the drug is due to the fact that more expensive medications were sold in January. Among them are new and expensive medicines that merchants have begun to distribute in Latvia in January. At the same time, doctors’ organizations have raised an alarm that there is no number of drugs available on the market, including cheapest medicines, such as antibiotics for children, macrolides needed to treat mycoplasma pneumonia, as well as inhalers for asthma patients