[Regulation, innovation, and improvement of health care. The pharmaceutical sector]

Abstract

The paper comments on present and future scenarios for the pharmaceutical sector in Spain, framed a highly regulated system. So far the drug industry has evolved under the short term public financial constraints for additional health care spending and the long term efforts to innovate. This has not proved to offer a stable setting for the relationship between the industry and Health Authorities. The author offers from the economic analysis and a subjective appraisal from his experience some recommendations for regulatory changes in order to better align the incentives of the parts for improving the health system as a whole. The basic point is that 'consumption levels' (quantities) and not <<prices>> (unit costs) are the main challenge to tackle today in our Public Health Care system, and for this the decentralisation of financial responsibility is not in itself 'the' problem but it may well be a part of the solution.