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. 1996 Jun 8;312(7044):1469-71.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.312.7044.1469.

Lessons from international experience in controlling pharmaceutical expenditure. I: Influencing patients

N Freemantle  1 , K Bloor
Affiliations

Lessons from international experience in controlling pharmaceutical expenditure. I: Influencing patients

N Freemantle et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

This is the first of three papers to review international policies to control spending on drugs and improve the efficiency of drug use. Policies can target three main groups: patients, prescribing doctors, and the drugs industry. In this paper we examine policies aimed at patients, particularly restrictions on reimbursement (such as prescription charges). Rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental studies suggest that policies to limit the level of reimbursement of drugs reduce the use of essential as well as non-essential drugs and may do more harm than good.

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