Sabine Vogler analysed evidence related to a range of policy options used by European countries for pricing, procurement and reimbursement of medicines.
Drug prices are high on the political agenda of countries worldwide. Rising prices of new medicines can restrict patient access and threaten the sustainability of health systems, and many countries are currently debating the adoption or reform of policies to better manage medicines prices. What can be learned from Europe, the region that has arguably had the most extensive experience with pricing policies?
Dr. Vogler will present a recently published paper analysing evidence related to a range of policy options used by European Union countries related to pricing, procurement and reimbursement of medicines, including generic drugs and biosimilars. She will describe the most commonly-used policies, explain the benefits and limitations of each, and offer proposals for how to improve them. She will also explore more far-reaching measures that can fundamentally tackle the issue of high medicines prices.
Sabine Vogler is head of the Pharmacoeconomics Department and head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies at the Austrian Public Health Institute (GÖG).