The Effect of Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies on Healthcare Expenditures in Turkey: Analysis for the Period 2015-2024
Author(s)
Zafer Caliskan, PhD1, Melike Midilli Çaliskan, Msc2.
1Professor Dr, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, 2Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
1Professor Dr, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, 2Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
OBJECTIVES: To reduce the financial strain on the healthcare budget, Turkey's pharmaceutical pricing regulations are updated on a regular basis. The purpose of this research is to investigate how pharmaceutical spending and prescription costs are affected by the pricing policies that have been put in place in Turkey from 2015 to 2024. These policies include international reference pricing, fixed Euro conversion rates, global budget limits, and margin regulations. The primary policy change points were identified, and their effects on spending trends were assessed, through time series analyses of annual nominal and CPI-adjusted real pharmaceutical expenditures, pharmaceutical ratios in total healthcare expenditures, and correlation with the reference Euro exchange rate.
METHODS: Based on time series estimates, the study will assess future drug availability and financial sustainability while accounting for the current state of affairs. TÜİK, SGK Annual Reports (2015-2023), OECD Health Statistics, and Official Gazette policy announcements were the sources of the study data.
RESULTS: Pharmaceutical spending in Turkey rose from 17.8 to 78.0 billion TL (estimated) between 2015 and 2024, while overall healthcare spending rose from 94.5 to 320.0 billion TL (estimated). In 2022, nominal annual growth was 33.4%, but real growth, which was adjusted for the CPI, was 21.4%. Pharmaceutical spending and the reference Euro exchange rate showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.92). Inflationary pressures were momentarily reduced by fixed euro conversion rates, but manufacturers were still subject to price pressure. The launch of expensive, cutting-edge biologics and cancer medications sharply accelerated the growth in spending.
CONCLUSIONS: While pharmaceutical pricing policies in Türkiye help support the sustainability of the healthcare system, the aging population and increasing demand for cutting-edge treatments require more flexible, adaptable pricing policies. Cost containment, rapid access to innovation, and improved health outcomes must be balanced in future policies.
METHODS: Based on time series estimates, the study will assess future drug availability and financial sustainability while accounting for the current state of affairs. TÜİK, SGK Annual Reports (2015-2023), OECD Health Statistics, and Official Gazette policy announcements were the sources of the study data.
RESULTS: Pharmaceutical spending in Turkey rose from 17.8 to 78.0 billion TL (estimated) between 2015 and 2024, while overall healthcare spending rose from 94.5 to 320.0 billion TL (estimated). In 2022, nominal annual growth was 33.4%, but real growth, which was adjusted for the CPI, was 21.4%. Pharmaceutical spending and the reference Euro exchange rate showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.92). Inflationary pressures were momentarily reduced by fixed euro conversion rates, but manufacturers were still subject to price pressure. The launch of expensive, cutting-edge biologics and cancer medications sharply accelerated the growth in spending.
CONCLUSIONS: While pharmaceutical pricing policies in Türkiye help support the sustainability of the healthcare system, the aging population and increasing demand for cutting-edge treatments require more flexible, adaptable pricing policies. Cost containment, rapid access to innovation, and improved health outcomes must be balanced in future policies.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
HPR198
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory, Study Approaches
Topic Subcategory
Reimbursement & Access Policy
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas