Reasons and enlightenment of the formation of high drug prices in the United States / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

Optimizing the drug price management mechanism and improving the availability and affordability of drugs are important in deepening the medical and health reform. The price of drugs in the United States has always been higher than the world average. The price of drugs, the total expenditure on drugs and the personal burden of patients have shown an increasing trend. By exploring the causes of high drug prices in the United States, the author found that there were four main reasons for the current situation of drug prices in the United States, including the interests of enterprises, the limited competition mechanism of the US drug market, relatively insufficient market bargaining power of the US payers, and opaque mechanism of price formation.Firstly, pharmaceutical companies try to achieve their interests by raising drug prices. Secondly, the price formation mechanism of the United States drug market is affected by the price strategy of pharmaceutical companies, and government policies also indirectly affect the role of the market. Thirdly, the payers in the United States are relatively scattered, so that the market bargaining power is relatively insufficient.Fourthly, due to the numerous drug circulation links and stakeholders, the drug price formation mechanism is opaque and lacks supervision. Therefore, when strengthening drug price management in China, we should build a coordination mechanism between the government and the market on the basis of the existing basic economic system and drug management mechanism, establish the strategic purchase and negotiation position of medical insurance for drugs, enhance the transparency of drug circulation and trading, and establish a scientific pricing system. It is also important to promote drug innovation and ensure drug quality.