The association warned in a press release Friday that hundreds of affordable products, used by 70% of Romanian patients, might disappear from the market, and called on authorities not to apply the clawback tax to cheap medicines.
The new formula to compute the clawback tax continues to be a far too heavy fiscal burden for the generic medicine sector, APMGR said.
“Romania’s Government decided to change the clawback tax mechanism setting a formula that preserves the flaws of the previous mechanisms,” reads the press release.
According to the association, the sum considered by the new formula does not reflect the real medicine consumption in the previous year.
Finance Minister Florin Georgescu said Thursday the Government approved a new formula for the clawback tax, which will be reduced by 10% and charged starting on October 1, as well as a mechanism to adjust the healthcare system’s arrears and ensure that hospitals stock drugs efficiently.
The changes are set down in an ordinance which also states VAT will become due on invoice payment as of January 1, 2013.
Generic drug producers have repeatedly demanded a lower clawback tax, warning that hundreds of products might be pulled from the market.