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Comparing Medicine Prices Among Countries. Why compare across countries?. Principal investigators want to know how their results differ from other countries’ results WHO/HAI and external users want to describe world drug markets from consumer perspective inform global drug policy discussions
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Why compare across countries? • Principal investigators want to know how their results differ from other countries’ results • WHO/HAI and external users want to • describe world drug markets from consumer perspective • inform global drug policy discussions • examine variations in results in light of differences in local policy environments
What can we compare? • Single drug comparisons, e.g.: • MPR – ratio of median price found to international reference price, in USD • affordability – # days wages for std. tx. • Summary statisticsacross many drugs in each country, e.g.: • median MPR for all innovators at retail • interquartile range of MPRs
Most Sold Generic Innovator Brand Median Price Ratios for Nifedipine (Retail)
Most Sold Generic Innovator Brand Days’ Wages for Nifedipine Tx (Retail)
Summary stats: Retail MPR medians & IQRs, Innovator Brand Most Sold Generic
Challenges of cross-country comparisons… Single-drug comparisons • WHO/HAI core list of 30 drugs • Opportunities for 1-drug comparisons • However: • local epidemiological profiles differ • local treatment approaches differ • national registration & patent status differ market share & role for drug differ
Economic vagaries • currency exchange rate, currency values • purchasing power • generosity of min. government wage • Name-brand drugs • source & country of origin vary • quality may vary? • “Lowest priced” generics • names not specified • names vary within, between countries • quality varies – how much?
Challenges of cross-country comparisons… Summary stats over many drugs • Variations in lists of drugs surveyed • core substance or strength not available • local supplementary drugs • To keep in mind: • multi-drug summary statistics are crude indices only • nevertheless, orders of magnitude are probably meaningful
Median Price Ratios for omeprazole Most Sold Generic Innovator Brand
Caveats for making cross-country comparisons… • Single-drug comparisons: • good validity • but still not perfect • Multi-drug comparisons: • less valid when lists differ • matched drugs always more valid • but matching drugs smaller sample (less reliable)
Caveats for making cross-country comparisons… • Give typical values, not extremes • Large differences more likely “real” than small differences • Be as transparent as possible • append details underlying analyses • post drug names & origins on HAI web • Use cautious language • Starting point only keep digging
WHO/HAI survey in Rajasthan, IndiaWeb-based pharmacies for US consumers, in US vs. abroad(using LPG)
8 Pilot Surveys + India + US websitesMedians and IQRs of MPRs(Private For-Profit)
Lowest Priced Generics – Prices to PtsMedians and IQRs of MPRs Public Sector Mission Sector
Public Procurement Prices for GenericsMedians and IQRs of MPRs * pub. teaching hosps buying on local private market