Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This paper examines aspects of the policy environment and market characteristics of the Swedish pharmaceutical sector, assesses the degree to which Sweden has achieved certain policy goals, and puts forth some key findings and conclusions. Thanks to low mark-ups in the distribution chain and no VAT for prescribed medicines, Sweden's public prices for pharmaceuticals are relatively low, in contrast to average prices received by manufacturers, which are among the highest in Europe. Recent reforms have helped to restrain pharmaceutical expenditure growth, following a period of double digit growth in the 1990s. Pharmaceutical expenditure per capita in Sweden is lower than the OECD average. Only five OECD countries devote less of their national income to pharmaceuticals. What limited evidence exists tends to suggest that relatively low pharmaceutical expenditures in Sweden are due to its low public prices, rather than to low levels of consumption. Sweden introduced a new pricing and reimbursement scheme in 2002. Its main features are the use of cost-effectiveness analysis for determining the reimbursement status of new pharmaceuticals and mandatory substitution of the lowest-cost generic alternative. The use of cost-effectiveness analysis in reimbursement decisions helps to relate the reimbursement price paid to the social value of the product, but does not necessarily result in the lowest possible price.The generic substitution policy has enabled Sweden to achieve fairly high penetration of generic drugs into the market in terms of volume, with a considerably low share of the total value of the market. However, the requirement to substitute only the lowest-priced listed drug risks undermining the competitiveness of the generic drug industry...

Social Issues/Migration/Health --- Sweden

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This paper examines aspects of the policy environment and market characteristics of Mexico's pharmaceutical sector, and assesses the degree to which Mexico has achieved certain policy goals. This paper questions the effectiveness of the maximum price regulation. It notes that retail prices for pharmaceuticals are relatively high, although proximity to the United States may have some influence. Although not wholly successful in containing overall drug expenditures, the federal government can claim some measure of success for the public sector market. A high reliance on out-of-pocket spending brings into question the sustainability of financing pharmaceuticals in Mexico. It also contributes to greater inequality, although a new health insurance scheme, the Seguro Popular, is addressing the latter with some success as it endeavours to provide coverage for the half of Mexico's population without health insurance. Finally, the paper acknowledges the government.s efforts in improving efficiency of expenditures and quality of care through new bioequivalency requirements for generics. However, an unintended side-effect of the loss of low cost, non-bioequivalent drugs may be higher average prices for pharmaceuticals.

Social Issues/Migration/Health --- Mexico

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This paper examines aspects of the policy environment and market characteristics of the Swedish pharmaceutical sector, assesses the degree to which Sweden has achieved certain policy goals, and puts forth some key findings and conclusions. Thanks to low mark-ups in the distribution chain and no VAT for prescribed medicines, Sweden's public prices for pharmaceuticals are relatively low, in contrast to average prices received by manufacturers, which are among the highest in Europe. Recent reforms have helped to restrain pharmaceutical expenditure growth, following a period of double digit growth in the 1990s. Pharmaceutical expenditure per capita in Sweden is lower than the OECD average. Only five OECD countries devote less of their national income to pharmaceuticals. What limited evidence exists tends to suggest that relatively low pharmaceutical expenditures in Sweden are due to its low public prices, rather than to low levels of consumption. Sweden introduced a new pricing and reimbursement scheme in 2002. Its main features are the use of cost-effectiveness analysis for determining the reimbursement status of new pharmaceuticals and mandatory substitution of the lowest-cost generic alternative. The use of cost-effectiveness analysis in reimbursement decisions helps to relate the reimbursement price paid to the social value of the product, but does not necessarily result in the lowest possible price.The generic substitution policy has enabled Sweden to achieve fairly high penetration of generic drugs into the market in terms of volume, with a considerably low share of the total value of the market. However, the requirement to substitute only the lowest-priced listed drug risks undermining the competitiveness of the generic drug industry...

Social Issues/Migration/Health --- Sweden

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

FRANCE, ESPACE GEOGRAPHIQUE --- TRANSPORT DE MARCHANDISES --- PARIS, REGION --- FRANCE, ESPACE GEOGRAPHIQUE --- TRANSPORT DE MARCHANDISES --- PARIS, REGION

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Dementia and its most common manifestation, Alzheimer’s disease, is a complex disorder that afflicts primarily the elderly, affecting an estimated 10 million people in OECD member countries. The complexity of the disease makes treating dementia extremely difficult, involving a wide variety of social and health care interventions. Typically, these two aspects of dementia care are examined separately. This paper adopts a conceptual model that examines both types of interventions and how they interact along the dementia care continuum. There are no effective health care treatments for stopping dementia, which is why the social care aspect plays an important role in treating the disease, with family members an integral part of this process. This paper shows that programs designed to help alleviate the burden of family members caring for a relative with dementia can have positive health benefits to both patient and family. In particular, the use of group-living, where dementia ...

Social Issues/Migration/Health