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Cost to the Patient or Cost to the Healthcare System? Which one Matters the Most for GP Prescribing Decisions? A UK-Italy Comparison

Author

Listed:
  • Vincenzo Atella

    (University of Rome II - Faculty of Economics)

  • Karen Hassell

    (University of Manchester - School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences)

  • Ellen Schafheutle

    (University of Manchester - School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences)

  • Marjorie C. Weiss

    (University of Bristol - Division of Primary Care)

  • Peter R. Noyce

    (University of Manchester - School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences)

Abstract
Charges for health services help contain healthcare costs. Despite showing that medicine consumption decreases when charges are increased research has not yet identified how doctors 'manage' the charge system to help patients who cannot afford treatment. This paper describes how the charge system influences the prescribing decisions of Italian and UK physicians. The data are from the qualitative stage of a multi-stage study exploring cost related influences on GP and patient decision-making regarding medicine use. The analysis presented is based on transcripts of focus groups conducted with general practitioners. To help patients who have difficulties affording their medication Italian GPs rely on a smaller number of cost reduction strategies compared to their UK counterparts. They use 'samples' left by pharmaceutical companies, or diagnose patients with pathologies that allow exemption. Occasionally they recommend some delay or change therapy to a cheaper but less effective alternative. Italian and UK GPs have firm views about patients abusing the NHS and believe costs to the system are as important as costs to the individual patient. Prescribing budgets were not viewed in a positive light by Italian GPs. Due to the nature of the charge system in Italy GPs there are able to choose a reimbursable product for patients, so have less need than UK doctors to look for other means of reducing costs. Conversely, the UK GPs have developed a large number of cost reduction strategies, probably because of the charge system itself and the relatively high charges incurred by patients.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincenzo Atella & Karen Hassell & Ellen Schafheutle & Marjorie C. Weiss & Peter R. Noyce, 2003. "Cost to the Patient or Cost to the Healthcare System? Which one Matters the Most for GP Prescribing Decisions? A UK-Italy Comparison," CEIS Research Paper 1, Tor Vergata University, CEIS.
    • Handle: RePEc:rtv:ceisrp:1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Atella, Vincenzo, 2000. "Drug cost containment policies in Italy: are they really effective in the long-run?: The case of minimum reference price," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 197-218, January.
    2. Noyce, Peter R. & Huttin, Christine & Atella, Vicenzo & Brenner, Gerhard & Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M. & Hedvall, Maj-Britt & Mechtler, Reli, 2000. "The cost of prescription medicines to patients," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 129-145, June.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Lambrelli D & O’Donnell O, 2009. "Why Does the Utilization of Pharmaceuticals Vary So Much Across Europe? Evidence from Micro Data on Older Europeans," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 09/06, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    2. L. G. González Ortiz & G. Masiero, 2013. "Disentangling spillover effects of antibiotic consumption: a spatial panel approach," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(8), pages 1041-1054, March.
    3. Björn Wettermark & Brian Godman & Bengt Jacobsson & Flora Haaijer-Ruskamp, 2009. "Soft regulations in pharmaceutical policy making," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 137-147, September.
    4. Line Bjørnskov Pedersen & Julie Riise & Arne Risa Hole & Dorte Gyrd-Hansen, 2014. "GPs' shifting agencies in choice of treatment," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(7), pages 750-761, March.
    5. Vincenzo Atella & Peter R. Noyce & Ellen Schafheutle & Karen Hassell, 2005. "Affordability of Medicines and Patients' Cost Reduction Behaviors: Empirical Evidence Based on SUR Estimates from Italy and the United Kingdom," CEIS Research Paper 71, Tor Vergata University, CEIS.
    6. Tsiantou, Vasiliki & Moschandreas, Joanna & Bertsias, Antonis & Papadakaki, Maria & Saridaki, Aristoula & Agius, Dominic & Alper, Zuleyha & Faresjo, Tomas & Klimkova, Martina & Martinez, Luc & Samouti, 2015. "General Practitioners’ intention to prescribe and prescribing patterns in selected European settings: The OTCSOCIOMED project," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(9), pages 1265-1274.
    7. Simon Reif & Lucas Hafner & Michael Seebauer, 2020. "Physician Behavior under Prospective Payment Schemes—Evidence from Artefactual Field and Lab Experiments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-37, July.
    8. Piette, John D. & Heisler, Michele & Horne, Robert & Caleb Alexander, G., 2006. "A conceptually based approach to understanding chronically ill patients' responses to medication cost pressures," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 846-857, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    patient charges; health care system; decision-making; prescribing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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