OEP exceeds budget

By mid-November, the National Health Fund Administration (OEP) exceeded its pro rata budget spending by Ft 3.2 billion, according to official data. The overrun came on the heels of an unexpectedly strong upswing in the consumption of subsidized ?flu drugs and fears of a rumored 15% drug price hike, which prompted a rush on medications, a top OEP official said, adding that under the agreement signed between OEP and drug makers in July, a freeze was imposed on subsidized drug prices until the end of 2006. Then the government also undertook to raise OEP's funding by an annual 5% from next year, while both signatories pledged to bulk out the fund's budget by a combined Ft 21 billion this year. (Vg 4) S.F.