OBJECTIVES

: State of COVID-19 epidemic was introduced in Poland in March 2020. Sales in pharmacies surged because many people stockpiled pharmaceuticals. However, access to prescription drugs, especially administered in hospitals, could have been restricted due to limited access to healthcare facilities. In this study, we evaluated the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on drug reimbursement in Poland.

METHODS

: Monthly data of the National Health Fund on reimbursement in January-April 2020 were analysed, with a focus on pharmacy-dispensed and hospital-administered drugs (drug programs and chemotherapy treatments). March and April 2020 data were compared to previous months and corresponding months in years 2017-2019.

RESULTS

: The total value of reimbursement in March 2020 was 15% higher than in February 2020 and 25% higher than in March 2019. The highest increase was for chemotherapy (25%), followed by drug programs (16%) and pharmacy drugs (15%). In April 2020, the value dropped by 20% compared to March and by 7% compared to April 2019. The largest decline was observed for pharmacy drugs (-27%), while hospital treatments dropped significantly less - chemotherapy by 10% and drug programs by 6%. The spending rate of the annual budget in March and April 2020 was higher compared to the corresponding months in the previous years. The above-average use of the yearly budget was mainly driven by increased reimbursement of pharmacy drugs and drug programs in March, when nearly 1/10 of the annual budget was spent.

CONCLUSIONS

: COVID-19 lockdown caused an overall increase in drug reimbursement in Poland in March and decreased reimbursement in April. The increase was likely caused by patients acquiring drugs in advance to secure treatment before potential deterioration of the epidemic situation. Limited access to healthcare facilities seemed to have a moderate impact on drug programs and chemotherapy, possibly because of solutions introduced by the Fund, facilitating home-based use of such treatments.