METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF INTERNATIONAL DRUG PRICE COMPARISONS

Drug prices have become an important issue in the last few years as co ncerns about constrained healthcare resources have increased. Healthca re authorities in all industrialised countries are questioning whether their country is carrying a heavier burden than others in paying for drugs. In view of this discussion, several price comparison studies ha ve been conducted. However, there is no generally accepted methodology on how to conduct price comparisons, and many methodological issues r emain unresolved. The results of most published studies are affected b y moderately serious methodological flaws, which are never properly ad dressed. The purpose of this study is to discuss the methodological is sue of international drug price comparison, in terms of 6 points that appear to this author to be necessary to conduct a methodologically so und study. A previous review of a large number of drug price compariso ns revealed that they all fail to take into account some or all of the se 6 basic methodological points. Studies that fulfil the methodologic al criteria outlined in this paper are therefore urgently needed befor e drug pricing studies can be fully utilised as a basis for important policy decisions in the healthcare arena.