Retail prices of essential drugs in Brazil: an international comparison.
OBJECTIVE
Price is a key obstacle for consumer access to essential drugs, especially in developing countries. This study sought to compare the retail prices of essential drugs on the private market in Brazil with that of two international pricing standards.


METHODS
The retail price of all drugs on Brazil's Essential Drugs List, July 2000 edition, were compared to the retail price of the same drugs on the Swedish market and on a referential bulk-price indicator from low-cost suppliers on the international market. Ratios of Brazil's prices to Sweden's prices and Brazil's prices to the international bulk mean price-per-unit for each drug were calculated. Using linear regression analysis, the ratios were also studied in relation to the number of manufacturers.


RESULTS
For the 132 drugs that were listed on both Brazil's and Sweden's lists, unitary retail prices in Brazil were 1.9 times higher. Of the 94 drugs found on both Brazil's list and the international unit-price indicator, Brazil's national mean unit prices were 13.1 more expensive. No relationship was found between the number of manufacturers for each product and the ratios of prices.


CONCLUSIONS
Average retail prices of essential drugs in Brazil are significantly higher than in Sweden. Furthermore, international bulk prices indicate that drugs are brought to market by Brazil's private pharmacies at prices that may be excessively high in relation to production costs, creating high profit margins. The expected price-lowering effects of competition were not identified.
Nóbrega
Otávio de Tolêdo
Ode T
Curso de Farmácia and Programa de PósGraduação em Gerontologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil. nobrega@ucb.br
Marques
André Ricardo
AR
de Araújo
Ana Cleire Gomes
AC
Karnikowski
Margô Gomes de Oliveira
MG
Naves
Janeth de Oliveira Silva
Jde O
Silver
Lynn Dee
LD
D001315:Australia; D001938:Brazil; D016527:Drug Costs; D018954:Drugs, Essential / Q000191:economics*; D017850:Economics, Pharmaceutical; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D013548:Sweden; D014481:United States
D018954:Drugs, Essential