Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies in a Global Market

New material | Executive Summary | Table of Contents 
 News Releases | Related Material | How to Obtain this Publication

New Material

The latest comparable data and trends on different aspects of the performance of health systems in OECD countries.

Executive Summary

• Read the complete executive summary

Table of Contents

Executive Summary
Introduction
Chapter 1. Key Characteristics of the Pharmaceutical Sector in OECD Economies

• Pharmaceutical expenditures
• Pharmaceutical consumption and relative price levels determine pharmaceutical expenditures
• Financing
• The pharmaceutical industry is important in the economies of several OECD countries
• Annex 1.A1. Distribution Mark-ups and Value-added tax for Pharmaceuticals in OECD Countries

Chapter 2. The Pharmaceutical Industry and its Activities

• Concentration of the industry
• Research and development
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Pharmaceutical sales
• Ex-manufacturer prices
• Product life-cycle management
• Profits of the pharmaceutical industry
• Annex 2.A1. Price Comparisons at the Ex-manufacturer Level

Chapter 3. Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement and the Broader Pharmaceutical Policy

• Environment
• Coverage schemes
• Pharmaceutical price regulation
• Regulators, payers and purchasers use a mix of techniques for defining price levels
• All components of the retail price of pharmaceuticals are subject to regulation
• Many OECD countries regulate price increases and try to contain pharmaceutical expenditure growth
• The stability, consistency and predictability of regulation
• Other aspects of the pharmaceutical policy environment that affect the achievement of policy goals
• Annex 3.A1. Pharmaceuticals and Intellectual Property Rights in the European Union
• Annex 3.A2. Marketing Authorisation in the European Economic Area

Chapter 4. The Impact of Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies on Performance in Meeting Health Policy Goals

• Promoting public health
• The impact of pricing and reimbursement policies on pharmaceutical price levels
• Pharmaceutical cost containment
• Pursuing good value for money in spending on pharmaceuticals
• Annex 4.A1. The Relationship between Retail Pharmaceutical Price Levels and Economy-wide Price Levels in OECD Countries

Chapter 5. The Impact of National Pricing and Reimbursement Practices on Prices and Availability of Medicines in Other Countries

• National pricing policies are likely to impact the availability and prices of drugs in foreign countries
• Manufacturers use various strategies in order to maximise net revenues in the global market and counter spill-over effects of national policies
• There is some evidence of market entry price convergence among OECD countries

Chapter 6. The Impact of Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies on Pharmaceutical Innovation

• Pharmaceutical R&D investment
• Ways in which pricing and reimbursement practices contribute to trends in innovation

News Releases

• English
• French

 Related Material

• Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy project page
• Berlin Centre page

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