Escalating costs of innovative medicines : perspective and proposals
Vallano, Antoni (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Pontes García, Caridad (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)

Date:	2024
Abstract:	Public healthcare systems are challenged by the soaring costs of medications that require increasing resources, often at the expense of other investments. The increasing pharmaceutical budget poses a threat to the allocation of funds for essential preventive and primary healthcare services while also raising concerns about equitable access, particularly in models where patients bear part of the costs out of their own pockets. Proposals on how to ensure ongoing and long-term accessibility, efficiency, and financial stability are required. The escalating costs of medicines may be explained in part by the mismatch between the traditional value-based pricing and reimbursement frameworks and the type of clinical development of targeted therapies and precision medicine in clinical practice. New appraisal methods and managed access strategies should be adapted to therapies targeting small populations and addressing increased uncertainty. Fair pricing strategies, transparent healthcare investments based on problems and outcomes, regulatory reforms, international cooperation, and critically examining the drug acquisition model are potential solutions. Transitioning from an industry-driven pricing approach to a health-driven payment model can help align the cost of treatments with actual health outcomes, establishing a foundation for a healthcare system that addresses immediate challenges and fosters long-term well-being. Acknowledging the lack of a universally applicable solution, the practical implementation of interventions requires a reframing of the pricing and access system and adaption to the targeted therapeutic approaches. Balancing innovation with financial sustainability necessitates a collaborative, adaptive, and transparent approach, as well as transitioning toward health-driven payment models, moving the focus from the cost of medications to the well-being of populations worldwide.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Health-driven payment model ; National healthcare systems ; Pharmaceutical costs ; Pricing strategies ; Regulatory reforms
Published in:	Frontiers in Public Health, Vol. 12 (2024) , p. 1449707, ISSN 2296-2565

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1449707
PMID: 39381757

8 p, 405.7 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
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