Healthy Skepticism Library item: 12256

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

Willert PL.
Assessment of the pharmaceutical market in Poland after accession to the European Union.
Eur J Health Econ 2007 Dec; 8:(4):347-57
http://www.springerlink.com/content/m8025319jm1176w5/

Abstract:

The Republic of Poland joined the European Union (EU) on 1 May 2004. The EU accession brought new opportunities to the Polish health care system and the pharmaceutical market. However, there are still barriers to overcome such as bureaucracy, lack of transparency in pricing and reimbursement, decision-making processes, the short period of data exclusivity, respect for intellectual property rights, favorisation of local companies and low health care investment. Additionally, drug costs outpace overall economic development, a trend which is universally valid for almost all EU countries and which forms one of the most serious factors in health care expenditure. A systematic cost-effective assessment, the so-called fourth hurdle (after quality, efficacy and safety), of prescription drugs seems a necessity in most EU countries. The Polish Ministry of Health has defined aims for the future health care system in the National Drug Policy 2004-2008, including health economical criteria and instruments. However, it is to be expected that for some time there will be more a reimbursement hurdle instead of a fourth hurdle in controlling drug expenditure. This review focuses on the Polish pharmaceutical market with special consideration of the history of the Polish health care system. It will highlight the present situation of the Polish health care system after EU accession and provide an outlook to its possible future.

Keywords:
Cost-Benefit Analysis Drug Approval Drug Costs/history* Drug Costs/trends Drug Industry/history* Drug Industry/organization & administration European Union Health Policy/history* History, 20th Century Humans Legislation, Drug/history Patents as Topic Poland Reimbursement Mechanisms