RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Price is a key obstacle for consumer access to essential drugs, especially in developing countries. This study sought to compare the retail prices of essential drugs on the private market in Brazil with that of two international pricing standards. METHODS: The retail price of all drugs on Brazil's Essential Drugs List, July 2000 edition, were compared to the retail price of the same drugs on the Swedish market and on a referential bulk-price indicator from low-cost suppliers on the international market. Ratios of Brazil's prices to Sweden's prices and Brazil's prices to the international bulk mean price-per-unit for each drug were calculated. Using linear regression analysis, the ratios were also studied in relation to the number of manufacturers. RESULTS: For the 132 drugs that were listed on both Brazil's and Sweden's lists, unitary retail prices in Brazil were 1.9 times higher. Of the 94 drugs found on both Brazil's list and the international unit-price indicator, Brazil's national mean unit prices were 13.1 more expensive. No relationship was found between the number of manufacturers for each product and the ratios of prices. CONCLUSIONS: Average retail prices of essential drugs in Brazil are significantly higher than in Sweden. Furthermore, international bulk prices indicate that drugs are brought to market by Brazil's private pharmacies at prices that may be excessively high in relation to production costs, creating high profit margins. The expected price-lowering effects of competition were not identified.
Assuntos
Custos de Medicamentos , Medicamentos Essenciais/economia , Farmacoeconomia , Austrália , Brasil , Política de Saúde , Humanos , Modelos Lineares , Suécia , Estados UnidosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Price is a key obstacle for consumer access to essential drugs, especially in developing countries. This study sought to compare the retail prices of essential drugs on the private market in Brazil with that of two international pricing standards. METHODS: The retail price of all drugs on Brazil's Essential Drugs List, July 2000 edition, were compared to the retail price of the same drugs on the Swedish market and on a referential bulk-price indicator from low-cost suppliers on the international market. Ratios of Brazil's prices to Sweden's prices and Brazil's prices to the international bulk mean price-per-unit for each drug were calculated. Using linear regression analysis, the ratios were also studied in relation to the number of manufacturers. RESULTS: For the 132 drugs that were listed on both Brazil's and Sweden's lists, unitary retail prices in Brazil were 1.9 times higher. Of the 94 drugs found on both Brazil's list and the international unit-price indicator, Brazil's national mean unit prices were 13.1 more expensive. No relationship was found between the number of manufacturers for each product and the ratios of prices. CONCLUSIONS: Average retail prices of essential drugs in Brazil are significantly higher than in Sweden. Furthermore, international bulk prices indicate that drugs are brought to market by Brazil's private pharmacies at prices that may be excessively high in relation to production costs, creating high profit margins. The expected price-lowering effects of competition were not identified.
OBJETIVO: Los precios constituyen un obstáculo clave para el acceso del consumidor a los medicamentos esenciales, especialmente en los países en desarrollo. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar los precios minoristas de los medicamentos esenciales en el mercado privado de Brasil con los de dos estándares internacionales de precios. MÉTHODS: Se compararon los precios minoristas de todos los medicamentos de la Lista de Medicamentos Esenciales de Brasil, edición de julio de 2000, con los precios minoristas de los mismos medicamentos en el mercado de Suecia y los indicadores de precios mayoristas de referencia de suministradores de bajo costo en el mercado internacional. Se calculó la razón entre los precios de cada medicamento en Brasil y en Suecia y entre los de Brasil y los precios mayoristas internacionales promedio por unidad. Se empleó el análisis de regresión lineal para estudiar también las razones según el número de productores. RESULTADOS: Los precios unitarios minoristas de los 132 medicamentos contenidos tanto en la lista de Brasil como en la de Suecia fueron 1,9 veces mayores en Brasil. De los 94 medicamentos que están tanto en la lista de Brasil como en el indicador internacional de precios unitarios, los precios unitarios nacionales promedio en Brasil fueron 13,1 mayores. No se encontró relación entre el número de productores de cada medicamento y la razón de precios. CONCLUSIONES: Los precios minoristas promedio de los medicamentos esenciales en Brasil son significativamente mayores que en Suecia. Además, según los precios mayoristas internacionales, las compañías farmacéuticas privadas de Brasil pudieran estar sacando al mercado medicamentos con precios excesivamente altos en relación con los costos de producción, lo que origina elevados márgenes de ganancia. No se encontró el efecto esperado de reducción de precios debido a la competencia.