OBJECTIVES

To evaluate and accentuate the achievements and disillusionments of Pharmacoeconomics in Nepal, and ascertain the critical challenges in acquiring effective and economic healthcare system.

METHODS

Literature review of the research papers on the evaluation of costs assigned to various healthcare resources in Nepal.

RESULTS

Pharmacoeconomics, a guideline on reimbursement of cost of drugs, is virtually non-existent in Nepal. The healthcare system in Nepal is confronted by increasing expenditure on drugs that are not included in the national lists of essential medicines. The budget allocated for health sector in Nepal is about USD 335 million (approximately 5% of the total budget) only, and has not changed much in decade. Also, weak governance, slow recovery from civil war, inadequate infrastructures particularly related to transportation and poor labor market and industrial relations has resulted into poor socio-economic index. On a positive note, increase in the number of pharmaceutical industries, production of high quality medicines at lower price compared to foreign imports can be some positive accomplishment of in the pharmaceutical sector. Beside this milieu of pharmaceutical sector, study on Pharmacoeconomics is virtually non-existent; very little attention paid by academic sectors. Also, absence of the term ‘pharmacoeconomics’ in the National Medicine Policy of Nepal, has attributed huge gap between the education system and our practices.

CONCLUSIONS

With skyrocketing cost of new drug molecules against the limited resources of the developing countries, endorsing the concept of Pharmacoeconomics methodologies, only, can maximize the treatment outcomes, more specifically in Nepal. More importantly, inclusion of pharmacoeconomics as a major subject in health related academic sectors and establishment of ISPOR Nepal Regional Chapter can play vital role in the steady development of Pharmacoeconomics concept among the related, and authorized, stakeholders.