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Across OECD countries, pharmaceutical spending reached about $800 billion in 2013, or about 20% of total health care expenditure, on average, including retail purchase for hospital drug consumption.
This was reported by the OECD in the OECD HEALTH WORKING PAPERS which examines recent trends in pharmaceutical expenditure in all OECD countries. The document examines recent spending trends, highlighting the differences between therapeutic classes.
Drug consumption continues to rise and is driving up pharmaceutical spending, while cost-containment policies and patent expirations on a number of best-selling products have put downward pressure on spending in recent years.
This has resulted in a slowdown in growth over the past decade. The paper then examines the challenges for emerging policymakers in managing pharmaceutical expenditure.
The proliferation of high-cost specialty drugs will be a major driver of growth in healthcare spending in the coming years. But while some of these drugs bring great benefits to patients, others provide only marginal improvements. And all this calls into question the efficiency of pharmaceutical spending”.
/ 21 Apr 2016
