Abstract
Background: There are many effective drug pricing systems which Thai Government should employ
to solve drug pricing problems especially at the reimbursement level. This research focuses on a
comparison of budget saved by the payer after the application of different drug pricing measures at the
reimbursement level.
Methods: This was a quantitative research. The budget impact analysis modeling to estimate the
budget saved from the pricing policy implementation was employed.
Drugs belonged to the group HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statins) were purposive sampling to be
the sample for the budget impact analysis. They were divided into 3 groups and the sample of each group
was shown in the bracket: 1) Innovative drug with therapeutic improvement (Rosuvastatin), 2) Innovative
drug with technical improvement (Amlodipine+Atorvastatin), and 3) Innovative drug with Generic
drug (Atorvastatin).
Drug pricing measures assigned for each drug groups were 1) Price Volume Agreement, 2) Value
Based Pricing, 3) Maximum Allowable cost, and 4) Reference pricing.
Results: In terms of budget saving for: 1) Innovative drug with therapeutic improvement group:
Reference Pricing measure saved more budget than Price Volume Agreement. 2) ) Innovative drug with
technical improvement group: Value Based Pricing measure saved more budget than Price Volume Agreement.
3) Innovative drug with Generic drug group: Reference Pricing measure saved more budget than
Maximum Allowable Cost.
Discussion: The magnitude of saving in each measure depends on the factors such as percentage of
drug rational use, numbers and prices of drugs available in the market, and availability of local made
drugs.
Conclusion: There are many effective drug pricing measures which can be used to reduce the reimbursement
budget. The government should place the right measure to each drug to gain its most benefit.
