PM Andrej Plenkovic has said that drug wholesalers have been offered the settlement of such a portion of the debt to them that is possible to offer without having to revise the state budget, noting that the government will try to ensure a sustainable system of payment for drugs and medical products.

“Drug wholesalers raise their voice at very precise intervals… sometimes they do so before elections, and then we tell them to come after the elections and the like. The current government’s offer is the only possible if we do not want to revise the budget. That was the message by the ministers (of finance Zdravko) Maric and (health Vili) Beros. After the budget is revised, we will look for solutions to ensure a sustainable model of payment of those liabilities that keep growing,” Plenkovic said at a news conference.

“We have been in talks with drug wholesalers in order to prevent problems in the functioning of the health system. There will be drugs, drug wholesalers will have to do business on the Croatian market in the future as well,” he said.

He added that one of the health minister’s tasks was to reform the health system in order to make it financially viable.