Final Word from Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Designated Health Minister David Rath sacked the head of the ministry's drug-regulation division yesterday and, according to Právo, will also replace the head of the drug-categorization committee. The next step will likely be to increase the use of generic drugs, which would work to the advantage of Zentiva. This scenario is similar to what happened at TV Nova. A successful company was made even more profitable by getting it into shape and taking advantage of market regulation. PPF doubled its money on TV Nova and could do the same at Zentiva. Rath has made the headlines for his remarks about "that cranky old man" Václav Klaus but has received little publicity for his concrete decisions about healthcare spending. He boasts of being a successful businessman and knows that big money is at stake. Let's hope that he has the interests of taxpayers and patients foremost in mind.[Czech Republic medicine pharmaceutics]