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Pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals in Italy

  • Pricing and Reimbursement Systems in Europe
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Abstract

In Italy the price setting of medicines reimbursed by the National Health Service is regulated at the central level by AIFA, the national regulatory authority. Prices of non reimbursed medicines are indeed freely established, with some limitations, by pharmaceutical companies. To contain pharmaceutical expenditure and rationalise the whole sector the following measures have been introduced in the past years: a threshold to public pharmaceutical expenditure (PPE); a reference price system (RPS) for off-patent medicines; a pay-back mechanism as an alternative to price cut. In 2008 Italy launched a reform of the pharmaceutical expenditure governance system with the aim to introduce stability and promote development and competitiveness in the pharmaceutical sector.

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References

  1. Constitutional Law n. 3/2001 Amendment to the Title V of the Italian Constitution [Legge costituzionale 18 ottobre 2001, n. 3 “Modifiche al titolo V della parte seconda della Costituzione” G. U. del 24 ottobre 2001, n. 248]

  2. Definition of the essential level of care Act [DPCM del 29 november 2001 “Definizione dei Livelli essenziali di assistenza” G.U. del 8 febbraio 2002, n. 33]

  3. Ministry of Economy and Finance—State General Accounting Department. General report on the Country’s economic situation financial year 2006. http://www.rgs.mef.gov.it/VERSIONE-I/Finanza-Pu/Relazione-/2006/index.asp

  4. http://www.agenziafarmaco.it

  5. Law n. 405/2001 [Legge 16 novembre 2001, n. 405 “Conversione in legge, con modificazioni, del decreto-legge 18 settembre 2001, n. 347, recante interventi urgenti in materia di spesa sanitaria” G.U. del 17 novembre 2001, n. 268]

  6. Law n.222/2007 [Legge 29 novembre 2007, n. 222 “Conversione in legge, con modificazioni, del decreto-legge 1° ottobre 2007, n.159, recante interventi urgenti in materia economico-finanziaria, per lo sviluppo e l’equità’ sociale” G.U. del 30 novembre 2007, n. 279]

  7. http://www.agenziafarmaco.it/CSTD/innterapeutica_en.html

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Studies, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), Rome, Italy

    Pietro Folino-Gallo & Simona Montilla

  2. Pricing and Reimbursement Unit, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), Rome, Italy

    Mario Bruzzone

  3. Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), Rome, Italy

    Nello Martini

Authors
  1. Pietro Folino-Gallo
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  2. Simona Montilla
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  3. Mario Bruzzone
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  4. Nello Martini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pietro Folino-Gallo.

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Folino-Gallo, P., Montilla, S., Bruzzone, M. et al. Pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals in Italy. Eur J Health Econ 9, 305–310 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-008-0114-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-008-0114-5

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