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Pharmaceutical Pricing in Egypt

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Pharmaceutical Prices in the 21st Century

Abstract

This chapter discusses medicine pricing in Egypt. Historically, medicines were subject to compulsory pricing, later formulated into a legislation that was based on cost-plus and mark up regulation. In 2009, external reference pricing was introduced and later combined with mark-up regulation in a more recent legislation in 2012. Despite the clear legislations, their implementation continues to be a challenge to the government which makes medicine pricing a nontransparent and confused element of pharmaceutical regulation. In a country with high private out-of-pocket expenditure on medicines, affordability remains a major determinant of access to medicines. The local pharmaceutical industry, which is the main provider of inexpensive generic medicines, suffers the confusion of pricing policies, and often risk operating at a loss. The chapter addresses medicine pricing from several angles in an attempt to provide a comprehensive, yet critical, reading of the Egyptian scene.

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Abbreviations

API:

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient

CAJ:

Court of Administrative Justice

CAPA:

Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Affairs

CAPMAS:

Central Agency for Population Mobilisation and Statistics

EDA:

Egyptian Drug Authority

EGP:

Egyptian Pound

EIPR:

Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights

ERP:

External Reference Pricing

GDP:

Gross Domestic Product

HAI:

Health Action International

HIO:

Health Insurance Organisation

IP:

Intellectual Property

ISPOR:

International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research

MNCs:

Multinational Corporations

MOHP:

Ministry of Health and Population

TDL:

Tender Drug List

THE:

Total Health Expenditure

TRIPS:

Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

USD:

United States Dollar

WHO:

World Health Organisation

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Correspondence to Heba Wanis .

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Wanis, H. (2015). Pharmaceutical Pricing in Egypt. In: Babar, ZUD. (eds) Pharmaceutical Prices in the 21st Century. Adis, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12169-7_4

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