The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, has reported on the agreement reached this morning to limit the maximum price of COVID-19 self-diagnosis antigen tests to 2.94 euros after the meeting of the Interministerial Commission on Prices of the Medicines.

The Interministerial Commission on Drug Prices is the competent body for setting the prices of drugs that are financed in the National Health System, specifically for the sale price of the laboratory and medical devices, as well as other products. Darias assured that “the main objective has been to set a price that is as affordable as possible, always maintaining the balance so that the product is available in the pharmaceutical channel.”

Thus, the agreement, adopted unanimously, has been to set the maximum retail price of antigen tests for self-diagnosis at 2.94 euros. This price will apply to all self-diagnosis antigen tests that are for sale in pharmacies and that have been authorized for sale by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products. The Director of the Basic Portfolio of SNS Services and Pharmacy of the Ministry of Health will sign the resolution today.

The Director of the Basic Portfolio of SNS Services and Pharmacy of the Ministry of Health will sign the resolution today. Tomorrow it will be published in the BOE and will come into force the day after its publication, that is, on Saturday.

Minister Darias explained that “in our country, self-diagnostic antigen tests with CE marking, since July 2021, can be purchased at pharmacies, without the need for a prescription and the price of over-the-counter” and added that “currently The marketing in Spain of 40 rapid self-diagnostic antigen tests for COVID-19 has been reported. We have gone from 22 in November to 40 today.”

A doctor performs an antigen test. Photo: GOIB.