New market study, "Italy Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q1 2015", has been published

SN pharmaceutical expenditure will decline in 2014 - creating revenue pressures for drugmakers and pharmacies in Italy and increasing out-of-pocket costs for the population. The government aimed to slash public healthcare costs by EUR900mn (USD1.2bn) in 2012 and EUR1.8bn (USD2.4bn) in 2013 and aims to continue to contain healthcare spending by EUR2.0bn (USD2.7bn) in 2014 and EUR2.1bn (USD2.8bn) in 2015.

Headline Expenditure Projections

* Pharmaceuticals: EUR20.91bn (USD27.60bn) in 2013 to EUR19.94bn (USD26.71bn) in 2014; -4.7% in local currency terms and -3.2% in US dollar terms.
* Healthcare: EUR144.30bn (USD190.48bn) in 2013 to EUR145.11bn (USD194.45bn) in 2014; +0.6% growth in local currency terms and 2.1% in US dollar terms.

Risk/Reward Index: In our Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Risk/Reward Index (RR!s), Italy is 13th out of the 15 markets surveyed in Western Europe. Despite being a large market, Italy is characterised by low levels of annual growth, largely due to of widespread price cuts. Additionally, the Italian economy is one of the most vulnerable economies in an already shaky eurozone. High levels of public debt, poor infrastructure and a lack of competitiveness indicate that the country will remain one of the region's laggards over the forecast period.

Full Report Details at
- http://www.fastmr.com/prod/904276_italy_pharmaceuticals_healthcare_report_q1_2015.aspx?afid=301

Key Trends And Developments

Highlighting ongoing revenue challenges for drugmakers operating in Italy, compared with the first six months of 2013, SSN pharmaceutical expenditure fell to EUR4.51bn (USD5.77bn) in H214, equating to a 3.2% decline in spending.

A stakeholder meeting to discuss the future of Italy's biosimilars policy was held on October 20 at the Italian Ministry of Health. The meeting was organised following the results of a survey conducted among 470 European physicians by the Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines (ASBM). The ASBM survey found that physicians in the country have a better understanding of biologics and biosimilars than their counterparts in France,...

About Fast Market Research

Fast Market Research is a leading 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 is always available to 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.

You may also be interested in these related reports:

- Slovenia Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q1 2015
- Thailand Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q1 2015
- Kenya Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q1 2015
- Hong Kong Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q1 2015
- Croatia Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q1 2015