Abstract
Introduction. Affordability of drugs is a determining factor of transiting to new price regulation mechanisms in the pharmaceutical market, such as reference pricing. Studying the social and economic determinants of wholesale and retail pricing in the pharmaceutical markets of various regions is of additional interest within the context of long- term transition to pharmaceutical insurance. Aim: To identify the signs of price discrimination, exemplified by some administrative-territorial entities of the Ural Federal District. Materials and Methods. A content analysis was performed regarding the aggregated offers available on the nation-wide pharmaceutical marketplace in the context of 10 drug manufacturers located in the Urals Federal District, and an assortment matrix was compiled (n=115). The assortment was analyzed using matrix-based and categorical methods of analysis, while pricing data were collected using the methods of descriptive statistics. Results and Discussion. Using the Sturges formula, interval series of prices were identified, and the variation coefficient was calculated for 115 trade names of drugs. The least variable were the lowest and highest price segments with high and low share of medicines included in the List of Vital and Essential Drugs, respectively. Two synthetic metrics were used to analyze the regional pricing features. Overall price variation was 14.6%, which suggests the presence of discriminatory pricing elements. The riskiest price segment is the range of RUB 100-200 per pack. Conclusions. Based on the findings of the pricing analysis for drugs manufactured in the regions of the Ural Federal District, the discriminatory pricing elements were found in the medium-low price segment.
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