The controversy of Eliquis' fluctuating price

The existing drug price was maintained at ₩1,185 on the 3rd

Confused while dealing with ₩830 in wholesale and pharmacy

The price of Eliquis, an anticoagulant drug, Apixaban, has fluctuated several times.

 

Wholesalers and pharmacies dealing with dispensing and distribution are also confused.

 

In particular, as the most recent provisional disposal application that Korea BMS applied for was accepted earlier than expected, some pharmacies and wholesalers had to pay the difference, but Korea BMS showed a negative attitude toward settlement.

 

Initially, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that as of January 1 this year, the Eliquis insurance price, which is ₩1185, will be reduced to ₩830 , a 30% reduction.

 

Accordingly, Korea BMS has proceeded with the original lawsuit to prevent the price cut, and has defended the price cut right now by applying for suspension of execution.

 

The BMS filed an application for disposition shortly after the suspension of drug price reduction was lifted after the first trial decision by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

 

As the court accepted it, the drug price, which was lowered on January 1, recovered to ₩1185 from two days later.

 

The problem is that the provisional decision was unexpectedly fast and was shipped at a reduced price on the first two days of January.

 

There was no time for wholesalers and pharmacies to cope.

 

January 1 2020 was a public holiday, but during the two-day weekday, wholesalers and pharmacies nationwide charged Eliquis at ₩830.

 

Even though pharmaceutical companies need to settle balances on shipments made during the day, Korea BMS has been controversial, stating that it will only settle for prescription quantities.

 

Personal information such as the patient's prescription is required to check the quantity of the prescription.

 

But, wholesalers or pharmacies cannot provide the personal information to pharmaceutical companies under the Personal Information Protection Act.

 

A wholesaler said, “As the result of the application for disposable treatment on the afternoon of January 3, we had a hard time reprocessing all the shipments that were shipped on the morning of the day at the original medicine price, and if a drug company wants to settle the balance only for the prescription of a hospital, it is like evading settlement”.

 

The official pointed out that BMS is the first Korean pharmaceutical company to announce such a settlement method.

 

A BMS official explained, “The company anticipates the problems that may arise as the price of medicines has been reduced, and has countermeasures, and will confirm the specific details and answer”.