Will parallel imports of medicines reduce drug prices in the Philippines?
Date
2008-10
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Abstract
This paper examined if parallel importation of pharmaceutical drugs could reduce their local prices. Based on a model of parallel imports developed by Maskus and Ganslandt, the authors used regression analysis to explain drug prices with parallel imports of pharmaceutical products and other relevant independent variables. Results showed that drug prices appeared to decline with parallel imports of selected drugs by the Philippine International Trading Corporation. The coefficient of parallel imports in the regression equation is negative, albeit insignificant at the 5% level. This result may be due to the limited quantity that PITC brought into the country from India. With the possible liberalization of parallel drug imports under the proposed Quality Affordable Medicines Act of 2007, their full effect in reducing drug prices in the Philippines may be realized as Maskus and Ganslandt documented in the case of the European Union.
Description
Keywords
Pharmaceutical industry, Medicine, Drug, Drug pricing, Imports