The Impact of External Price Referencing Within and Across a Country's Borders

Abstract

for these developments included the global economic downturn (Canada), market consolidation processes (Canada, Spain) and the strategic decision taken by national representatives of generic companies to close their sales or market access departments (Norway, Switzerland). When they announced cost-containment measures, governments were frequently confronted with opposition of pharmaceutical industry (e.g. media campaigns, legal challenges) who expressed their concern of negative consequences for the performance of the pharmaceutical sector. In two countries (Hungary, Spain) industry proposed alternative solutions to prevent the implementation of planned cost-containment measures. ConClusions: While cost-containment measures contributed to impact negatively the performance of pharmaceutical industry in some cases, their consequences appeared to be less severe than previously expected. This suggests that cost-containment is less relevant than other performance-impacting factors. PHP331Are Drug Procurement ProceDure AnD AwArD criteriA in eu HosPitAl setting stAnDArDizeD AnD Do tHey tAke into Accounts effective suPPly QuAlity?