The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) has released a report on the new regulations governing the funding and pricing procedures for medications within the Spanish National Health System (SNS). This initiative comes in response to increasing public pharmaceutical spending, which is projected to reach €23.27 billion in 2024, reflecting a consistent rise over previous years.

The new regulations aim to standardize funding and pricing procedures, clarify applicable criteria, enhance transparency, and establish mechanisms for monitoring and reevaluating decisions. The CNMC emphasizes the importance of improving efficiency in pharmaceutical spending and fostering competition among medications, particularly after exclusivity periods end.

In its evaluation, the CNMC highlights that the proposed regulations will provide greater predictability and systematic approaches to existing procedures. It also introduces funding mechanisms linked to outcomes, strengthens economic evaluations, and promotes dynamic pricing systems to intensify competition among competing medications.

However, the CNMC has made several recommendations to further promote competition and good regulatory practices. These include implementing uniform pricing and a general prohibition on discounts, enhancing the motivation and transparency of funding decisions, and improving the criteria for pricing and funding. The CNMC also suggests limiting confidentiality to strictly commercial information and increasing transparency in funding criteria.