During 2023, the regions spent 1.1 billion Danish kroner more on medication than originally budgeted for. This has created significant financial pressure on the healthcare system, which is now asking the state for help to cover the extra expenses. Anders Kühnau, the chairman of the Danish Regions (Danske Regioner), stated that the increasing expenses on subsidized medication challenge the regions’ ability to maintain core functions such as patient treatment. As a consequence, the regions must find savings in hospitals to finance the treatment of a growing elderly population, resulting in reduced service levels in other areas and poorer service for citizens.
In particular, expenses for medication for diabetes and ADHD have contributed to this financial burden. Since 2013, the number of prescriptions for ADHD medication in Denmark has increased by 167 percent, and from 2022 to 2023, the expenses for this type of medication increased by 56 percent. Figures from the Danish Regions show that 110,000 Danes had a prescription for ADHD medication in 2023 compared to 40,000 in 2013.
The regions are now urging the state to take greater responsibility for the increasing medication expenses. Kühnau highlights the need for a medication subsidy guarantee from the state that can cover a portion or the entire cost increase. There are currently ongoing negotiations about the upcoming economic agreement between the state and the regions. The regions are working to get the state to take on a larger share of the medication expenses, as the current tools to control expense increases are not in the hands of the regions but the state. At the same time, the regions bear the risk of unforeseen expenses.
The new economic agreement, expected to be finalized later this week, could potentially change the distribution of financial responsibility among the state, regions, and municipalities.