The programme aims to lower medical expenses, improve price transparency, and ensure fair access to essential drugs, reports the Bangkok Post.
The OIC, insurance associations, the Department of Internal Trade, the Department of Health Service Support, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Private Hospital Association recently signed an agreement on a coordinated framework to make drug pricing more transparent, standardised, and supervised for safety and fairness.
Under the project, patients at private hospitals may take their doctors’ prescriptions to participating outside pharmacies. These pharmacies must publicly disclose their drug prices, comply with FDA standards, and operate under strict quality controls.
Authorities expect the initiative to significantly reduce treatment costs, especially for patients with chronic conditions who require long-term medication.
According to the OIC statement, the measure is vital given persistently high medical inflation, driven by rising room fees, charges for medical procedures, and drug costs.
"These increases have caused insured sums in health insurance policies to become insufficient, forcing policyholders to shoulder more out-of-pocket expenses," the statement noted.
Allowing insured patients to source medicines externally offers a new mechanism to manage medical budgets more effectively and helps extend policy benefits throughout the coverage period, it added.
The OIC has worked with life and non-life insurers to establish unified guidelines. Policyholders will be able to submit receipts from participating pharmacies as part of their claims, similar to hospital-issued receipts, provided costs fall within their existing medical coverage limits.
“Insurance companies will be required to verify the accuracy of prescriptions, the legitimacy of receipts, and the regulatory status of pharmacies under the FDA. This ensures transparent, fair, and efficient coverage for the public,” the statement said.
The OIC will closely monitor and evaluate the programme’s implementation to ensure tangible benefits. The goal is to lessen the burden of rising treatment costs while strengthening the long-term stability of the national health insurance system.
The regulator reaffirmed its commitment to proactive supervision and promoting fair competition within the insurance market. This includes enhancing consumer access to quality and transparent healthcare services and supporting Thai insurers in adapting to rising medical expenses and future health challenges.