Pharmaceuticals Policy and Law - Volume 5, issue 0

Authors: Huttin, C.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This paper analyzes how patients' treatment choices are influenced by cost to the patient for three different diseases in France: mild hypertension, hay fever and hormone replacement therapy. Five focus groups of patients were conducted in May/June 1999. We found that cost conscious behaviors were very dependent on patients' health insurance status, mainly in relation with supplemental insurance. Major shifts of drug treatment decisions differ according to the type of conditions. For hypertensive patients, …differences are mainly observed in relation with the timing of prescriptions, the number of packs and the payment method for drugs. For patients with hay fever, main decision shifts are observed in the choice among professionals and the more or less extensive search for different types of therapies. For HRT patients, main differences in decisions concern the number of packs purchased, how often prescriptions are renewed and which drug categories are prescribed. Overall, cost to the patient was a much more important issue for non-drug treatment costs such as the surveillance costs in the case of HRT patients or for costs of exams and referrals in the case of hypertensive patients. Cost minimization strategies in some ways are dependent on the type of anticipations in the long run that patients may have. Show more

Citation: Pharmaceuticals, Policy and Law, vol. 5, no. 0, pp. 153-165, 2002

Authors: Costa, Joan | Mossialos, Elias

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Products obtained through techniques that genetically modify living organisms are widely extended in the medical, pharmaceutical and food industry. However, the usage of such techniques has led to widespread controversies in some European countries where it clashes with small public acceptance. Lack of knowledge also suggests that once people become aware of the possible effects on health or the environment that these risks pose this might cause conflicts in many countries. Moral concerns and lack of …sufficient knowledge to understand both risks and benefits are typically the issues that policy makers fear. This paper empirically examines the acceptance of and perceptions of risks for biotech procedures using data from two public opinion surveys, developed in 1996 and 1999 respectively (Eurobarometer surveys 46.1 and 52.1). Additionally, we look at risk perception determinants. Show more

Keywords: biotechnology, public perceptions

Citation: Pharmaceuticals, Policy and Law, vol. 5, no. 0, pp. 167-183, 2002

Article Type: Other

Citation: Pharmaceuticals, Policy and Law, vol. 5, no. 0, pp. 185-190, 2002

Article Type: Other

Citation: Pharmaceuticals, Policy and Law, vol. 5, no. 0, pp. 193-195, 2002

Authors: Fernàndez-Bagüés, Manuel

Article Type: Other

Abstract: This paper looks at the role of intellectual property rights in determining the relationship between market structure and R&Dintensity. Empirical evidence has for a long time provided mixed results about this relationship. Sutton's work in "Technology and Market Structure" (1998) presented a seminal contribution in the field. His theory suggests that whether concentration is high in R&Dintensive industries essentially depends on the substitutability of products associated with different technologies. If substitutability is …high then an increase in the effectiveness of R&D increases the lower bound to concentration; otherwise concentration may stay low. We argue that in those industries where knowledge can be securely transferable this relationship is not robust. Furthermore we present empirical evidence from the pharmaceutical industry that supports our hypothesis. Show more

Keywords: market structure, technology, intellectual property rights, outsourcing, pharmaceutical industry

Citation: Pharmaceuticals, Policy and Law, vol. 5, no. 0, pp. 197-209, 2002

Article Type: Other

Citation: Pharmaceuticals, Policy and Law, vol. 5, no. 0, pp. 211-211, 2002

Authors: Huttin, Christine

Article Type: Other

Citation: Pharmaceuticals, Policy and Law, vol. 5, no. 0, pp. 213-214, 2002