Abstract
This paper aims to analyse changes in the retail pharmaceutical market following policy changes in the Farmácia Popular Program (FP), a medicines subsidy program in Brazil. The retrospective longitudinal analyses focus on therapeutic class of agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system. Data obtained from QuintilesIMS (formerly IMS Health) included private retail pharmacy sales volume (pharmaceutical units) and sales values from 2002 to 2013. Analyses evaluated changes in market share following key FP policy changes. The therapeutic class was selected due to its relevance to hypertension treatment. Market share was analysed by therapeutic sub-classes and by individual company. Losartan as a single product accounted for the highest market share among angiotensin II antagonists. National companies had higher sales volume during the study period, while multinational companies had higher sales value. Changes in pharmaceutical market share coincided with the inclusion of specific products in the list of medicines covered by FP and with increases in or exemption from patient copayment.
Highlights
The Brazilian retail pharmaceutical market has increased significantly since 2003 (US$ 4.85 billion), reaching US$26.9 billion in sales in 20131
This paper aims to analyse changes in the retail pharmaceutical market following policy changes in the Farmácia Popular Program (FP), a medicines subsidy program in Brazil
Changes in pharmaceutical market share coincided with the inclusion of specific products in the list of medicines covered by FP and with increases in or exemption from patient copayment
Summary
The Brazilian retail pharmaceutical market has increased significantly since 2003 (US$ 4.85 billion), reaching US$26.9 billion in sales in 20131. The last National Health Accounts 2010-2013 shows that total expenditure on medicines were 1.6% of Brazil’s gross domestic product[2] (GDP) on average in 2013, what is slightly higher than Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (1.4%)[3]. Farmácia Popular Program (FP) was part of President Lula’s working plan for his first mandate. This policy consisted in a list of medicines to be subsided by the government and provided in public and private pharmacies. FP was especially aimed at low-income people covered by private health care insurance, as in Brazil few of them include outpatient medicines as a benefit. It targeted medicines used to treat the most prevalent diseases in outpatient care[4]
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