Abstract
Drug price control is one of the measures to contain health care costs. This paper briefly reviewed
the price control methods that have been commonly employed in developed countries. Experience in controlling drug prices by government agencies in Thailand was analyzed and recent findings from the
Research Projects on Drug Prices (B.E. 2553-2555) that have been supported by the Health Systems Research
Institute were summarized. Policy recommendations for the control of both purchased and reimbursed
prices were additionally proposed. The National Lists of Essential Medicines should be strategically
mobilized as an indirect measure of price control. To control the purchased prices of new drugs,
innovative strategies of pool purchasing and price negotiation should be implemented under collaboration
with health insurance funds. Routine monitoring of the hospital-purchased prices should be supported
so as to obtain the regular and update information on drug pricing. The reimbursed price of a
generic drug that is covered by the National Lists of Essential Medicines should be set at an adequately
high rate that can incentivize the use. An agency for the development and maintenance of standardized
drug databases should be established. The long-run development should include the price monitoring
infrastructure in every step, from essential drug selection, drug purchasing, utilization and reimbursement.
