What are the financial implications?

As of 13 July 2009, the expenses for the individual patient for cardiovascular medicinal products (‘antihypertensives’) will be unchanged or lower, depending on whether the treatment is switched to a cheaper medicinal product. For the regions, the medical expenses will be lower.

For an individual patient who switches from treatment with an expensive ACE inhibitor or angiotensin II antagonist to an inexpensive ACE inhibitor (C09), the average annual savings (for region and patient) will be between DKK 1,500 and 2,300. In case of a change from an expensive calcium channel blocker (C08) to a less expensive one, the corresponding savings will be DKK 950. If, in future, you are to undergo treatment with another, but less expensive medicinal product, the change could take place naturally in connection with a routine visit to the general practitioner over the coming six months. Overall, we estimate the savings for patients and the public sector to amount to DKK 200-300 million per year, even if the switch requires extra consultations to check blood pressure.

Experts estimate that in addition to all the patients already undergoing treatment, additionally approx. 300,000 people ought to undergo treatment for hypertension. Furthermore, some of the people undergoing treatment today are being treated insufficiently. There are a number of reasons for this, but the money saved could be advantageously used to correct undertreatment in Denmark.