Comparison between maximum consumer prices for medicines and prices practiced on the internet in Brazil: misalignments and regulatory distortions

Ciencia e Saude Coletiva

article

Souza, Caroline Miranda Alves de¹  Paranhos, Julia¹  Hasenclever, Lia² 

[1] Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro;Universidade Cândido Mendes

关键词: Government regulation;    Drugs price;    Drugs generics;   

DOI  :  10.1590/1413-812320212611.44082020

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Associacao Brasileira de Pos - Graduacao em Saude Coletiva

【 摘 要 】

Since 2003, the Medicine Market Regulation Chamber (CMED, in portuguese) has been responsible for establishing the maximum consumer prices (MCP) for medicines. The aim of this study is to compare prices practiced on the internet with the MCP and identify the average price difference between them in two segments of existing drugs in Brazil, the reference and the generic ones. Drug prices were collected on websites of pharmacies and drugstores and compared with their respective MCP for the year 2019. The analysis included 68 drugs and 268 commercial presentations of generic and reference drugs related to these drugs. A different pattern was observed for the average price difference in relation to the MCP in each market segment, with most generic drugs tending to show the highest differences and the reference drugs the lowest ones. The problem of price distortion in relation to the MCP pointed out by the literature was confirmed mainly in relation to the generic drug market. It was concluded that a periodic review of the MCP would be important, considering retail prices.

【 授权许可】

CC BY