OBJECTIVES

: Analyze the sales impact for laboratories that are under drug price regulation. Considering the increase in prices and quantities, both of its regulated and non-regulated medicines, based on the laboratories reports after the implementation of the direct price control scheme in Colombia

METHODS

Five laboratories were selected among 28 laboratories with medicines regulated by its global cost share, for 2013. With the purpose to obtain the annual growth rates, the total sales (Multiplication between the price and quantity reported), total quantities and average prices were calculated for each year and laboratory. Prices and reference units were taken from the laboratory report at the institutional channel of SISMED price data base with a time horizon from 2012 to 2017

RESULTS

: After the regulation from 2014 to 2017, concerning the price regulated medicines, the reported quantities decreased 4.9% annually and their average prices had an annual growth of 2.4%; resulting in an annual decrease in sales of 14.7%.Regarding to non-regulated medicines, the quantities reported had an annual growth of 45.9% and their average prices increased 23.5% annually. Therefore, laboratories had an annual growth in sales of 22.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

: The inclusion of some medicines into the direct price control scheme does not affect the sales growth strongly among the selected laboratories. Since, the perceived losses by the laboratories are compensated by an increase in the regulated medicines quantities or by an increase in the non-regulated medicines prices. In total, laboratories, with and without regulated medicines, grew 17.3%, that is, 4% more than the annual growth for all laboratories (13%).