Doctors have found that in some countries it is cheaper to buy drugs
Canadian and American scientists conducted a study on the difference of prices of drugs in ten developed countries of the world. It turned out that the main reason for the differences is the existing system of health insurance.
The researchers published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The authors drew attention to six categories of popular drugs that are more likely to buy in pharmacies than in hospitals. This list includes, for example, drugs to reduce pressure, pain relievers and antidepressants. The study was conducted in the following countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
The study authors found that five States in which the system of private insurance, the average cost of drugs per person was $77 in four countries with social insurance — $99, and in Canada, where a mixed system, — $158. In some countries, the differences in price reaches 600% from $23 in New Zealand to $171 in Switzerland. The volume of purchased drugs do not differ so much from 198 days per person per year in Norway to 279 days in Germany.
“The amount of drugs you purchase in Canada, about the same as in other countries, Canadians spend about $2.3 billion more than they would spend in 2015, if the average price of drugs in Canada were the same as in the other nine countries,” conclude the authors. Thus, the average cost of medication is lower in countries with private insurance: this system encourages lower prices and choose the cheaper medication.