BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The penetration of generic drugs in the Greek pharmaceutical market is placed among the weakest in the EU. The Greek regulatory framework does not systematically support the development of this subsector and physicians are not provided with incentives for prescribing generics. The aim of this study was to investigate the prescribing profile of physicians in Greece with ...

Since 1977, cost containment has been an integral part of health policy in the Federal Republic of Germany. The common goal of the cost-containment acts was to bring the growth of health care expenditures in line with growth of wages and salaries of sickness fund members. The Health Care Reform Act of 1989 is the most recent manifestation of this policy. The main features of the numerous cost-c...

BACKGROUND Spending on specialty pharmaceuticals is rising faster than that for traditional drugs. In 2006, specialty drugs were the largest category driving drug costs and utilization trends. Even with effective management, expenditures on these agents are projected to increase exponentially in the coming years. OBJECTIVE To review benefit design strategies used by payers to control costs an...

• However, newly launched expensive drugs receive specific funding in two countries. In the UK, ‘innovation payments’ can be requested for new treatments. These payments are limited to a period of up to three years. Subsequently, drugs are either reimbursed via the DRG system or added to the high cost drug exclusion list. In Germany, hospitals can request NUBs (Neue Untersuchungsund Behandlungs...

Set amidst the backdrop of rising prescription drug costs and a renewed governmental commitment to combating fraud, this article highlights recent enforcement actions against the pharmaceutical industry. In an effort to clarify today's turbulent regulatory landscape, the authors also explore the elements of a successful compliance program for pharmaceutical manufacturers and identify the major ...

OBJECTIVE To examine racial/ethnic and economic variation in cost-related medication underuse among insured adults with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We surveyed 5,086 participants from the multicenter Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes Study. Respondents reported whether they used less medication because of cost in the past 12 months. We examined unadjusted and adjusted ra...