[EQ] The reference price system and socioeconomic differences in the use of low cost drugs

The reference price system and socioeconomic differences in the use of low cost drugs

 Vrijens France, Van de Voorde Carine, Farfan-Portet Maria-Isabel, le Polain Maïté and Lohest Olivier :
Health Services Research (HSR) - KCE reports vol 126C
The Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE)

PDF [88p.] at: http://www.kce.fgov.be/Download.aspx?ID=2156

Website: http://www.kce.fgov.be/index_en.aspx?SGREF=5211&CREF=15353

“…..To control public expenditures on prescription drugs in ambulatory care, almost all European countries have opted for a reference price system (RPS).
This paper focused on the following three research questions:

1. How is the reference price system implemented in Belgium, and how can it be  compared to reference pricing organized in some selected countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and British Columbia)?

2. Is there evidence of socioeconomic differences associated with the use of low cost drugs in the literature and in Belgian physician prescribing data? If so, what are these differences associated with (e.g. lack of information, attitude, expectations) and what is the impact on patient costs?

3. If such evidence is found in Belgium, what measures can be taken to avoid these differences?..........”

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