Introduction: Studies have demonstrated that co-payments on medication reduce the consumption of both non-essential and essential drugs, and that the latter can lead to worse health outcomes. Far less is known about how patients cope with the cost of medication, particularly if affordability is...

Objective: To describe empirical studies evaluating the impact of reference pricing (RP) interventions in pharmaceutical markets in order to discuss the requirements for these evaluations. Methods: Ten studies were included in this review. For each study, the nature of the intervention, the...

Payment incentives to both consumers and providers have significant consequences for the equity and efficiency of a healthcare system, and have recently come to the fore in health policy reforms. This review first discusses the economic rationale for the apparent international convergence toward...

This article outlines an approach to resource allocation in healthcare that embraces the concepts of

Background: The debate on access to new drugs has focused on the time lag between applications for approval and granting of marketing authorisation. This delay was identified as the first barrier with respect to patient access to new drugs, encompassing the hurdles of safety, efficacy and...

This article examines (i) the background and debate over cost shifting; (ii) hospitals as business institutions that often shift the financial responsibility for their costs in the form of differential pricing; and (iii) how the cost-shifting debate affects and is affected by Medicare. The aim...