In the past, free price setting mechanisms in Germany led to high prices of patented pharmaceuticals and to increasing expenditures in the pharmaceutical sector. In order to control patented pharmaceutical prices and to curb increasing pharmaceutical spending, the Act for Restructuring the...

When drugs enter the market, physicians' prescribing behavior plays a crucial role in the diffusion process. Although regulations to foster economically efficient prescribing exist, physicians have some degree of freedom in choosing medication and are subject to various influencing factors. The...