Transparency and cooperation help to reduce high prices for new medicines, WHO study shows

As the number of new medicines introduced in Europe rises, governments are finding it increasingly difficult to afford them, according to a comprehensive study released today by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

The study illustrates the challenges for national health systems, with specific examples, and shows that few countries in the WHO European Region have mechanisms in place to evaluate the cost–effectiveness of new drugs; this hampers the value-assessment and decision-making processes.

Both the supply and prices of new medicines are often fixed in framework agreements between governments and pharmaceutical producers and the negotiation process is generally rather opaque. The study points out that countries need to strengthen cooperation and share their experiences if transparency is to be achieved and gaps in medicines pricing policies are to be filled.

Explores what is happening in 27 countries