OBJECTIVES: The University Hospital of Patras (GPNP) has implemented a series of prescription monitoring measures that aim at reducing the hospital’s pharmaceutical expenditure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of those policies. METHODS: Analysis of the 2011 and 2012 economic data of the GPNP on purchase and consumption (in terms of quantity and value) of pharmaceutical products, both in the inpatient and outpatient settings, was conducted. Data on the total number of outpatient prescriptions and high-cost drugs were also analyzed. The subgroup of high-cost drugs was further investigated, by performing a breakdown analysis of the expenditure of high-cost drugs by disease area. RESULTS: The cost containment measures implemented by the GPNP (which include, among others, the development of guidelines on rationalizing the use of pharmaceutical products, and a hospital formulary, which took into consideration both clinical and cost data), have resulted in a reduction of the total pharmaceutical consumption by 11.5% in 2012 (€29.4 million) compared to 2011(€33.2 million). Although total outpatient prescriptions and the related quantity of pharmaceutical products prescribed were increased by 8.1% and 10.5%, respectively, the pharmaceutical cost of outpatient care was reduced by almost 28%, indicating a significant increase in the prescription of lower cost pharmaceuticals. Indeed, the high-cost hospital medicines prescribed to outpatients was reduced by almost 21% in 2012. In the inpatient setting, the total expenditure on high-cost hospital medicines was reduced by 12.9%. The expenditure on cytostatic drugs, which accounts for more than 70% of the total expenditure for high-cost drugs in the inpatient setting, was reduced by almost 10%, while the number of patients hospitalized was reduced by only 1.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The policies implemented by the GPNP were successful in reallocating pharmaceutical budget towards more innovative medicines in order to ensure patients’ access to new therapies.