Competition In Pharmaceutical Industry Research Articles

Safe, Innovative and Accessible Medicines in Europe: A Renewed Strategy for Patients and the Pharmaceutical Sector

Abstract European Union (eu) action in the pharmaceutical sector has always had the dual objective of safeguarding public health by providing Europe with safe and effective medicines, while stimulating research, boosting innovation, and supporting the competitiveness of industry. To face major health, economic and scientific challenges, a series of measures have been adopted. Specific legal frameworks have been set up to improve patient safety by reducing the infiltration of counterfeit medicines into the supply chain, to increase the safety of medicines by modernising the pharmacovigilance system, as well as improving patient access by requiring high-quality health and medicine information. This article provides an overview of the new eu strategy aimed at increasing the safety and involvement of European patients, as well as the competitiveness of pharmaceutical industry in accordance with the principle of transparency. The analysis is carried out from a patients’ perspective addressing some paediatric specifications.

STUDYING INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS IN PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR IN SELECTED DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Objectives: Competitiveness is the ability of countries in increasing market share, profits, value added, and staying at the scene of fair and international competition for a long period of time. This is realized through market authority and establishing activities based on comparative and competitive advantages. On the other hand, the research-based pharmaceutical industry makes a major contribution to the prosperity of the world economy. It is a robust sector that has been one of the pillars of industrialized economies and is increasingly recognized as an important sector in the developing world as well. Furthermore, global sales of pharmaceutical products represent the international spread of medical technology that comes as the result of highly intensive R and D efforts in the exporting countries (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, 2012). The present study aimed to analyze and investigate the international competitiveness of pharmaceutical sector in selected developed countries using traditional and new indices of competitiveness.Methods: In this study, revealed comparative advantage index and also static and dynamic intra-industry trade (IIT) indices were used in the period 2000–2012.Results: The results indicated the growing competitiveness in most of the selected countries. Furthermore, the findings suggested that countries with higher levels of international trading of pharmaceutical goods have a higher potential of competitiveness based on IIT and comparative advantage indices.Conclusions: For increase in international competitiveness in pharmaceutical industry, selected developed countries pay attention to both comparative and competitive advantages.

Identifying and prioritizing industry-level competitiveness factors: evidence from pharmaceutical market

BackgroundPharmaceutical industry is knowledge-intensive and highly globalized, in both developed and developing countries. On the other hand, if companies want to survive, they should be able to compete well in both domestic and international markets. The main purpose of this paper is therefore to develop and prioritize key factors affecting companies’ competitiveness in pharmaceutical industry. Based on an extensive literature review, a valid and reliable questionnaire was designed, which was later filled up by participants from the industry. To prioritize the key factors, we used the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).ResultsThe results revealed that human capital and macro-level policies were two key factors placed at the highest rank in respect of their effects on the competitiveness considering the industry-level in pharmaceutical area.ConclusionThis study provides fundamental evidence for policymakers and managers in pharma context to enable them formulating better polices to be proactively competitive and responsive to the markets’ needs.

Market analysis of growing competition in pharmaceutical industry

This paper discusses the consumer behaviour towards in buying pharmaceutical products in Mexico, which is price-sensitive, and generic medicines are setting major competitive challenges in the pharmaceutical marketing. It is argued in the paper that the attribute of self-medication and search for low-price alternatives against prescribed medicines have given the opportunity for generic pharmaceuticals to enter the market competition in Mexico. The domestic firms, most of which are engaged in manufacturing generic medicines through retail pharmacy network, enjoy higher efficiencies than affiliates of major multinational pharmaceutical companies. This paper analyses the market competition between generic and commercial pharmaceutical brands in the context of buyers and distributors bargaining power, substitution effect and challenges from new entrants in the Mexican pharmaceutical market.