Healthy Skepticism Library item: 13742
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
Iizuka T.
Experts' agency problems: evidence from the prescription drug market in Japan.
Rand J Econ 2007 Aut; 38:(3):844-62
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18478669
Abstract:
This article examined the physician-patient agency relationship in the context of the prescription drug market in Japan. In this market, physicians often both prescribe and dispense drugs and can pocket profits in so doing. A concern is that, due to the incentive created by the mark-up, physicians’ prescription decisions may be distorted. Empirical results using anti-hypertensive drugs suggest that physicians’ prescription choices are influenced by the mark-up. However, physicians are also sensitive to the patient’s out-of-pocket costs. Overall, although the mark-up affects prescription choices, physicians appear more responsive to the patient’s out-of-pocket costs than their own profits from mark-up.
Keywords:
MeSH Terms:
Antihypertensive Agents/economics
Conflict of Interest/economics*
Costs and Cost Analysis/economics
Drug Costs*
Drug Industry/economics*
Drug Utilization
Economics, Pharmaceutical*
Health Care Sector*
Humans
Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services
Japan
Models, Economic
Physician's Practice Patterns/economics*
Physician-Patient Relations
Prescription Fees
Prescriptions, Drug/economics*
Substances:
Antihypertensive Agents
