Unified Drug Prices for All Hospitals: Minister Announces Large-Scale Procurement Reform

A fundamental change is coming to the way medical institutions in Bulgaria purchase medicines. According to Health Minister Katya Ivkova, the new centralized negotiation system will be applicable to all hospitals in the country – including state and municipal ones, as well as the private sector.

The goal of this step is to ensure uniform pricing for medicinal products everywhere, utilizing large-scale purchases to achieve greater cost-efficiency. The Minister emphasized that this decision is in the interest of patients and will guarantee transparency in the expenditure of funds. The legislative changes have already been submitted to the National Assembly and are undergoing the parliamentary procedure.

"We must know where every cent set aside for health insurance actually goes," Ivkova stated, adding that centralized procurement is a government priority to stop "leaks" in the system. She noted that the NHIF budget for medicines this year is approximately 1.3 billion euros – a resource that must be managed strictly according to the law.

During the speech, other key healthcare topics were also addressed:

• Staffing Crisis: The responsibility for finding medical personnel will be transferred to hospital executive directors.
• Management: A new remuneration model is proposed for senior management, linked to the hospital's profitability and its ability to attract young specialists.
• National Children's Hospital: The Minister criticized the previous management of the project, calling it "complete negligence," and confirmed that its construction remains a priority.

In addition to the procurement reforms, the government is also planning an update of the national health map through digitalization.