Drug Reimbursement Regulation in 6 Peer Countries

The US has nearly 4.5% of the world's population but accounts for more than 40% of global drug spending. With the upcoming 2020 election, a top priority of many voters is to better control drug prices and reform the pharmaceutical market. In this Special Communication, the drug price mechanisms and government regulations used in 6 representative peer countries are evaluated: Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Drug price regulation is compared with that currently used in the US. Eight key lessons from the regulations used in these countries and which elements are incorporated into the bills currently making their way through the US Congress are evaluated (2 from the US House of Representatives and 1 from the US Senate). None of these bills is as systemic or comprehensive in its drug pricing mechanisms and regulations as the schemes in the other countries.