The increase in costs for medicines in the statutory health insurance (SHI) is unbroken. In 2008, drug expenditure in Some parts of the world rose by 5.3 percent to 29.2 billion euros.

Reasons were mainly in international comparison, over-priced new drugs as well as the still popular so-called Regulation Analogpräparate without therapeutic value. The study estimated the potential savings to 3.4 billion euros.

Patented drugs are still disproportionately expensive in Some parts of the world. Thus, the vaccine against cervical cancer in this country would cost 477 euro, in the U.S. for instance, only the equivalent of 247 Euro. Even in Switzerland, the price lies in the central cantons of negotiations with the manufacturer, with only 314 euros.

In the current year, threatening a new cost explosion. According to current statistics, the pharmaceutical expenditures have risen again to July by more than 5 percent.

The drug report is based on 723 million for statutory health insurance regulations that were issued last year by approximately 135 000 registered doctors.