E-drug: Pharmaceutical budgets (cont'd)
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Dear Hae-joo Chung,
Below is a table with the proportions of pharmaceuticals
expenditures as compared to overall health expenditures in the
health insurance in Japan (period 1980-1999). Even now it is much
higher (23-27 percent) than that of western developed countries.
1980 - 43.1 1990 - 31.7
1981 - 43.4 1991 - 33.2
1982 - 38.0 1992 - 31.5
1983 - 38.8 1993 - 32.0
1984 - 34.3 1994 - 29.6
1985 - 32.8 1995 - 31.0
1986 - 31.6 1996 - 28.5
1987 - 32.8 1997 - 27.5
1988 - 33.0 1998 - 24.0
1989 - 33.8 1999 - 23.5
One of the main reasons is that new drugs, which may not be more
effective or safe than older but established and evidence-based
ones (essential drugs) are much used, although their prices in Japan
are very high compared to prices in developed countries, especially
UK and France. Another reason is that the amount of drugs
prescribed is larger than in those countries, especially new drugs. In
1993, almost half of the expenditure for pharmaceuticals was for
drugs that were approved within the last 9 years. It is a very
peculiar phenomenon in Japan. For example in Germany, only ten
percent of the expenditure for pharmaceuticals that were approved
within the last 9 years.
I will be very happy if this information can help you.
Rokuro Hama MD
Japan Institute for Pharmacovigilance
e-mail: gec00724@nifty.ne.jp
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