Research on the correlation between social average wages level and pharmaceutical expenditure/total health expenditure / 中国药学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of social average wages on the pharmaceutical expenditure as a share of total health expenditure (PE/THE), provide support for the reduction of PE/THE scientifically, and reasonably controlling pharmaceutical expenditure. METHODS： Data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development database were used in this analysis, which concluded the indicator PE/THE and the annual average wage data of 24 OECD countries. Time trends of PE/THE and the relationship between PE/THE and average annual wages were examined. The data of 15 Eurozone countries from 2006 to 2015 were used to build panel data model to analyze the correlation between annual average wage and time and PE/THE. RESULTS: The results of the study show that the reciprocal of the PE/THE was positively correlated with the average annual wages and time, and was statistically significant. That is, with the increase of the annual average wages or time goes by, the PE/THE declines. CONCLUSION: When formulating the policy of PE/THE, the influencing factor of average annual wages should be taken into full consideration.