Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20332

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Freemantle N, Bloor K
Lessons from international experience in controlling pharmaceutical expenditure. I: Influencing patients.
BMJ 1996 8; 312:(7044):1469-71
http://www.bmj.com/content/312/7044/1469?view=long&pmid=8664631

Abstract:

This is the first of three papers to review international policies to control spending on drugs and improve the efficiency of drug use. Policies can target three main groups: patients, prescribing doctors, and the drugs industry. In this paper we examine policies aimed at patients, particularly restrictions on reimbursement (such as prescription charges). Rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental studies suggest that policies to limit the level of reimbursement of drugs reduce the use of essential as well as non-essential drugs and may do more harm than good.

Keywords:
Attitude to Health Cost Control/methods Cost Sharing Drug Costs* Drug Prescriptions/economics Great Britain Health Expenditures* Health Policy Health Services Needs and Demand/economics* Humans Patient Acceptance of Health Care Reimbursement Mechanisms State Medicine/economics