In the current year, 463,176 people (7 residents out of 1,000) found themselves in conditions of health poverty. It means that they had to ask for help from one of the 2,011 healthcare organizations affiliated with Banco Farmaceutico to receive free medicines and treatments that they otherwise would not have been able to afford. Compared to the 427,177 people in 2023, there was an increase of 8.43%.
Meanwhile, for the seventh consecutive year, pharmaceutical spending by households is increasing, but the share borne by the National Health Service (NHS) is decreasing. In 2023 (latest AIFA data available) the total expenditure of households is 23.64 billion euros, 1.11 billion more (+3%) than 2022 (when the expenditure was 22.535 billion). However, only 12.99 billion euros (55%) are borne by the SSN (they were 12.61 in 2022, equivalent to 56%). There are still 10,650 billion (45%) paid entirely by households (9.91 in 2022, or 44%).
This means that, compared to the previous year, households paid 731 million euros more (+7.4%). In 7 years (2017-2023), pharmaceutical spending by households has increased by 2.576 billion euros (+31.9%). The fee is payable by all families, even poor ones, who must pay in full for the cost of over-the-counter medicines to which is added (except exemptions) the cost of tickets.
Read the press release.