The pilot survey on pharmacies will be conducted during July 2021 and will be completed electronically in Excel spreadsheets, sent by e-mail. Data will be collected for 2018, 2019 and 2020.
From 2021, the State Statistical Office started publishing health accounts, which represent a categorised overview of all health expenditures in the country. Health accounts show the funds in the healthcare system in terms of sources, methods of financing, type of healthcare they are used for, type of health facilities, diseases, investments, etc. The State Statistical Office is undertaking several activities for improving the health accounts by greater and more detailed coverage of the funds in the healthcare system in the country.
One of the most important segments in compiling the health accounts for the Republic of North Macedonia is the expenditure on medications, traditional complementary medicines, medical aids and devices and other medical goods, and it is especially important to calculate the funds that citizens pay privately, i.e. not covered by the Health Insurance Fund.
The purpose of this pilot survey is to improve the health accounts for accurate determination of the funds used by the population for private purchases of medications and products in pharmacies, as well as the type of medications for which private funds are spent. The results, in addition to providing information on this important market for companies, are of great significance to health policy-makers regarding the health insurance coverage of medications.