OBJECTIVES: Due to the dynamic increase of pharmaceutical expenditure in the last decade different cost-containment method has been introduced by the European public insurance companies. The cost-effective drug reimbursement system might influence the price level either in a direct or an indirect way, so the pricing strategy should be based on demand drivers and on factors of the regulatory environment as well. The goal of this analysis was to identify the effect the certain reimbursement solutions and local market characteristic on average price level of the predefined submarket. METHODS: Before the statistical analysis we have built a comprehensive, standardized and continuously updated international drug database based on official sources which supported the analysis trough getting wider access to data’s. Because of the expected domestic introduce of international reference price system, we handled it with an extra attention among the explanatory variables. RESULTS: The variance of international pharmaceutical price level by the examined submarket found to be remarkable which can be explained by the difference product supply and the different apply of cost-containment methods of price regulation. CONCLUSIONS: The most effective way to curb the increased expenditure by the patient and the public insurance companies seems to be international reference price system; however the effect of this method differs across the countries.