Abstract
Drug price comparison between Thailand and the United StatesThe price differential of drugs, calculated by item, group and purchasing power parity (PPP), was conducted to compare drug price between Thailand and the U.S. The 209 samples accounted for 34.9 percent of the total import, or 12.9 percent of the total import and manufactured. The comparison by item showed that 17 drugs in Thailand were more expensive than in the U.S. The total import of the 17 items was 17,491,517 US dollars. Of these drugs, four of them were AIDS/virus drugs and five were antibiotics. The comparison analysis by therapeutic group showed that AIDS/virus group were priced 6percent higher in Thailand than in the U.S. where ones of antihypertensive drugs, phychotropic drugs, anticancer agents, miscellaneous group, cardiac drugs, antibiotics, vasodilating agents and antiinflammatory agents were(percent) 18.7, 24.3, 28.1, 45.0, 49.2, 47.5, 73.1 and 73.6 differences respectively. Comparison by registration type demonstrated higher price of the new drugs over the old drugs category with percentage of differences at(percent) 20.0 and 44.4 lower in Thailand than in the U.S. Comparison by dosage for did not show significant differences among groups of injection, tablet and capsule; and other form which were 38.0, 37.4 and 34.4 lower in Thailand than in the U.S. respectively. Comparison by using the 1995 PPP (Thai PPP=28 and U.S. PPP=100) indicated that most imported drug were charged more in Thailand than in the U.S. expect antiinflammatory drugs and vasodilating agents.
