Health economist Professor
Phillip Clarke has criticised the
federal government’s failure to
manage more effectively the pricing
structure of fixed-dose combination
drugs (FDCs).
In a release from the Medical
Journal of Australia, Clarke
said FDCs saved money for the
consumer but increased the cost
to the Health System due to pricing
concessions for big pharma.
Citing the ezetimibe and
simvastatin (Vytorin) example,
Clarke said that the “additional cost
to the government is around $20m
per year.”
He said the UK’s NICE did not
recommend using FDCs with
ezetimibe due to the higher cost.
Clarke claimed that up to $120m
could be saved annually by setting
the pricing based on the individual
component costs.The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 29 Apr 14 To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 29 Apr 14
THE role and significance of community pharmacy in regional areas was a key focus of discussion for the Nationals leader David Littleproud during last week’s visit to Orana Mall Pharmacy as part of a regional tour.
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