On 4 July 2023, the Hungarian Parliament amended Act XCVIII of 2006, which outlines the general rules for the safe and economical supply of medicines and medical aids, as well as the distribution of medicines.
With the amendment, the government introduced the concept of a “unified institutional pharmacy system” to improve, according to the government, the operational efficiency of institutional pharmacies through investments, including those enabling individual medication administration. Non-state-run hospitals can voluntarily opt into the joint institutional pharmacy system. The proclaimed focus is reducing expenses in the procurement of medicines without compromising patient care. The government will later develop the regulation for a unified institutional pharmacy system, emphasizing the efficiency of concession operations and how service providers can provide better services.
The Hungarian Chamber of Pharmacists (MGYK) has criticized outsourcing, expressing concerns about the entry of a potentially new, unregulated major player in the Hungarian pharmacy market. They fear that a future tender winner can essentially be authorized to establish and operate a chain of pharmacies, providing direct medicine supply to the public, which can be harmful to the whole system. For instance, the MGYK questions whether such a player would be motivated to ensure the unprofitable administration of high-value pharmaceuticals (for example, pharmaceuticals financed with individual fairness).
The pharmacy profession is also concerned about the impact on hospital pharmacists. Over the past decade, efforts have been made to make the career of a hospital pharmacist attractive, but this progress could erode quickly, especially if the opportunities to work with particular products, such as high-value and rarely sought prescribed pharmaceuticals, diminish for financial reasons.