Statistics from the State Agency of Medicines (GAL) show that in 2025, pharmaceutical companies and their representatives in Latvia raised prices for 708 medications, while prices for 730 medicines were reduced. The statistics also indicate that price increases were often quite significant - by more than 30%, and in some cases - even by 100% or more.
The vast majority of them are medicines produced abroad and imported into Latvia. The Ministry of Health published data on the results of the price reform in February of this year, indicating that, on average, prices in pharmacies decreased by 17%, particularly noticeable in the segment of the most expensive drugs. At the same time, as a result of the 2025 reform, prices for medicines costing up to 5 euros mostly increased.
As of January 1, 2025, the principles for setting prices for medicines in Latvia were changed, a new markup model was introduced, and reduced markup limits were established for wholesalers and pharmacies. The reform stipulated that in Latvia, manufacturer prices cannot exceed those in Lithuania or Estonia, and it also contained a condition that manufacturers can change the price once a year, with no threshold price limit. Thus, if a manufacturer raises prices in Lithuania or Estonia, the price can also be raised in Latvia without restriction once a year.
Analyzing the data from the State Agency of Medicines (GAL) on changes in manufacturer prices for medicines, the newspaper "Diena" concluded that it was in January 2025, when the reform came into effect, that manufacturers massively changed prices. Overall, in January 2025, manufacturers raised the maximum allowable price for 248 medicines - in most cases, these were medications produced abroad.
