Document Detail


Experience of a medicines reference-pricing model.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15098277     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of a medicines reference-pricing programme covering items for which appropriate generic equivalents are available. DESIGN: The list of covered items was continuously monitored and updated by clinicians and pharmacists employed by Medscheme, and was published as the Medscheme Price List (MPL). Prospective and retrospective analyses of prices of medicines covered by the MPL were carried out and the effect of the programme on expenditure by medical schemes was measured. RESULTS: The programme had an immediate effect on the rate of medicines inflation after implementation as a result of switching from original or branded products to generic medicines or switching from higher-priced to lower-priced generic equivalents. CONCLUSION: Over the past few years Managed Care has focused on strategies aimed at reducing utilisation of health care services and/or benefits by members of medical schemes. These strategies have largely been directed at members and health care providers, with little attention paid to suppliers (e.g. the pharmaceutical industry). This study has shown that a supplier-directed strategy has merit and is capable of substantially reducing expenditure on medicines.
Authors:
A D Rothberg; J Blignault; C B Serfontein; B Valodia; S Eekhout; L M Pels
Related Documents :
15161467 - Effects of the balanced budget act on medicare home health utilization.
15797947 - U.s. spending for mental health and substance abuse treatment, 1991-2001.
17049667 - Pharmaceutical regulation in greece at the crossroad of change: economic, political and...
10197027 - The case of disability in the family: impact on health care utilization and expenditure...
2083107 - Measuring child health inequalities using aggregations of enumeration districts.
3149307 - Health care financing policy for hospitalized black patients.
Publication Detail:
Type:  Evaluation Studies; Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde     Volume:  94     ISSN:  0256-9574     ISO Abbreviation:  S. Afr. Med. J.     Publication Date:  2004 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2004-04-21     Completed Date:  2004-05-10     Revised Date:  2008-11-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0404520     Medline TA:  S Afr Med J     Country:  South Africa    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  183-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Medscheme Integrated Care Division, Medscheme (Pty) Ltd., PO Box 70344, Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Cost Savings / statistics & numerical data
Developing Countries
Drug Costs / trends*
Drug Prescriptions / classification,  economics*
Drugs, Generic / economics*
Humans
Inflation, Economic / statistics & numerical data
Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / economics*
Managed Care Programs / economics*
Models, Econometric*
Program Evaluation
Risk Assessment
Socioeconomic Factors
South Africa
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Drugs, Generic

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Rapid detection of the t(11;14) translocation in mantle cell lymphoma by interphase fluorescence in ...
Next Document:  Unexplained HIV-1 infection in children--documenting cases and assessing for possible risk factors.