Pharmaceutical safeguard clause extended to medicines dispensed by hospital pharmacies

Article 21 of the 2006 Social Security Financing Act creates, in Article L. 138-10(II) of the Social Security Code, a contribution separate from the safeguard clause for medicines sold in community pharmacies. It is due from companies marketing medicines on the hospital retail list (medicines dispensed by hospital pharmacies to outpatients, Article L. 5126-4 of the Public Health Code), excluding orphan drugs, when their turnover grows faster than the national health insurance spending target and they have not signed an agreement with the Economic Committee for Health Products. The progressive scale is set out in a table published in the Official Journal. It applies for the first time to the contribution due for 2005; for that year, the exempting agreement could be signed until 15 December 2006.