Espicom's in-depth pharmaceutical market reports are ideal for executives wanting to understand the key drivers in pharmaceutical markets and have access to a wealth of statistical data. Each report opens with an outlook section that provides analysis of the market, 5-year market forecasts, national data projections, market outlook and key developments such as regulation, pricing/reimbursement, intellectual property, health facilities and government policy. The report also provides extensive background information, population trends, health status, health expenditure, organisation & administration, hospital services, medical personnel, healthcare development, market access information, trade data for raw materials and finished products and essential industry contacts. Included with the report are 3 free quarterly updated outlook reports, enabling you to keep up to date with market developments for a year. Per capita pharmaceutical expenditure in Belgium is comparatively high despite the fact that prices in Belgium are below average compared to the rest of Europe. Rising social security expenditure, however, has prompted the government to undertake increasingly severe measures to reduce drug expenditure. As a result, the Belgian pharmaceutical industry has been subjected to numerous cost containment measures in recent years.

Belgium is a relatively modest producer of pharmaceutical products, despite being a world leader in the production of vaccines. The majority of indigenous producers are small companies, and only a handful of multinationals have made Belgium a key manufacturing site. Many multinationals, however, use Belgium as an international distribution centre, meaning that import-export trade in pharmaceutical products far outweighs the value of the domestic market.

The generics market has been boosted by the loss of patent protection for high volume products such as omeprazole and simvastatin. However, moves to switch to a system of tendering for these molecules and other high volume off patent products, has called into question the future development of the generics industry. Despite government assurances that it means to provide greater support for innovative medicines, the existing reimbursement system and the Budget Ministry's right of veto regarding costly products can impede the introduction of new drugs.