Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/17/2013 -- The Polish pharmaceutical market contracted severely in 2012 due to harsh pricing measures and strict margins imposed on wholesalers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and retailers. Moreover, over the course of the year, the burden of pharmaceutical spending shifted onto the Polish consumer, as the harsher reimbursement regime caused a rise in private contributions to prescription payments. We forecast a return to growth in 2013, driven by demand for hospitals and private consumption growth as the Polish government entrenches cuts to drug expenditure. We expect strong growth in the medium-to-long term as Poland's economy diversifies and aligns with developed countries. The growth of private medical companies is a positive development in the Polish healthcare market, and the introduction of voluntary health insurance could lead to the private sector playing a greater role in healthcare provision.

View Full Report Details and Table of Contents

Headline Expenditure Projections

- Pharmaceuticals: PLN31.37bn (US$9.64bn) in 2012 to PLN32.26bn (US$10.29bn) in 2013; 2.8% in local currency terms and 6.7% in US dollar terms.
- Healthcare: PLN108.69bn (US$33.41bn) in 2012 to PLN121.08bn (US$36.04bn) in 2013; +4.5% in local currency terms and 1.2% in US dollar terms.

Risk/Reward Rating: Poland has a RRR score of 61.5out of 100, making it the second most attractive pharmaceutical market in Central and Eastern Europe.

Key Trends And Developments

The National Health Fund (NFZ) will be decentralised in H113 with regional authorities taking a greater role in commissioning healthcare services.

The health insurance market is scheduled to be liberalised with services previously not covered by NFZ insurance. It will be covered through additional voluntary health insurance. Private health insurers will be able to compete with the NFZ for premiums. In order to even up the market, tax breaks, allowances and deductions will be introduced to encourage uptake.

The number of prescriptions receiving no subsidy at all from the NFZ increased significantly in 2012. Private healthcare spending in Poland is expected to continue rising in line with incomes. The role of the private sector and the potential introduction of voluntary health insurance as a supplement to the NFZ suggest market dynamics will be driven increasingly by private consumption, and government provisioning will retreat.

Consolidation within private healthcare will continue, as LuxMed buys up MegaMed's clinics. Privatisation of debt-laden hospitals by municipalities will continue in 2013.

Owing to the margin limits imposed on reimbursable drugs, retail pharmacy sales have dipped significantly, with many individual pharmacy stores closing down. Pharmacy chains have been able to weather the conditions well; they benefit from greater discounts when buying wholesale.

About Fast Market Research
Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. Representing the world's top research publishers and analysts, we provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available. Our unbiased, expert staff will help you find the right research to fit your requirements and your budget. For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at http://www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

Browse all Healthcare research reports at Fast Market Research

You may also be interested in these related reports:

- Nigeria Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Croatia Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Australia Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Mexico Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Kenya Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Pakistan Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Algeria Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Argentina Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Hong Kong Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013
- Central America Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q3 2013