State medicine policy versus pharmacy market in Poland: problems, tendencies and background with an emphasis on the situation as of 2012

The bases of the state medicine policy, formed in preceding years, connected with the regulation of the pharmaceutical market, were introduced together with a new Medicine, Foods for Special Purposes and Medical Products Reimbursement Act as of 1st January 2012. The main purpose of the said act was a multi-structured regulation of the pharmaceutical market. The purpose of introducing the new act was an improvement of the situation of the Polish pharmacy industry as well as the elimination of many anomalous phenomena taking place in recent years. Many groups of interest have already voiced their reservations in the period of drafting the new act. Many things were not amended. They are, however, important enough to be considered, as they may have significant results in the future, especially concerning the economic situation of pharmacies.