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Biomedical subjects

J Grund

Publications and source records attributed to J Grund.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Distribution of pharmaceuticals--a Norwegian logistic perspective.

There is a general concern about rising costs of pharmaceutical expenses. One political measure is a more efficient distribution system, which can take the form of new channels for retailing. In Norway mail-order pharmacy (MOP) has been brought to the agenda due to the recently proposed law regulating pharmacies ("Apoteklov"), market developments abroad, demand for self-medication, the increase in OTC-products and advances in information technology. Mail-order pharmacy involves direct delivery of medications through postal mail to patients or those responsible for dispensing medication. With reference to the USA, mail-order pharmacy has filled a niche in the market and several other countries are following. We are convinced that it is possible to maintain a high level of service quality in the sense of safety, counselling and compliance, and that there is a potential to develop a model for this distribution form in Norway. We believe that the actors in the Norwegian pharmaceutical market are better served in taking a more active role in this area and where possible initiating pilot projects in mail-order distribution. The pharmacists will continue to play an important role as a retail outlet and should, with their influence over patients, their knowledge and experience, contribute towards developing MOP to be a safe and complementary sales outlet. Developing such a solution demands the right balance between performance and quality on the one hand and efficiency on the other; two criteria, which we believe, do not contradict each other.

Humans↗
PubMed1998

[New distribution forms for pharmaceuticals--a logistic perspective].

Pharmaceuticals are an important input in health care. As a complement to other modes of treatment and as a substitute for hospitalisation, they affect the health of individuals and populations. Enormous public financial resources are spent on pharmaceuticals, and halting the growth in expenditures is a political objective. Factors with room for improvement include drug use efficiency, cost-efficient prescription, purchasing prices and distribution. High distribution costs affect prices and, thus, the assessment of product cost vs. utility. Changes in the distribution system may be important, for three reasons: First, increased capital costs call for higher efficiency. Second, increased competition requires improved logistics. And third, information technology has opened up for new supply chain solutions. Direct sales solutions are being considered, and were discussed in a Norwegian public report on the matter, but no final conclusion has been reached. This article discusses changes in the supply of pharmaceuticals and the development of the market. Alternative supply chains are outlined, including what role the postal service may play in a deregulated pharmaceutical market.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1998

Pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals. A new culture for the community pharmacist.

Pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals are of concern for pharmacists. Different countries have different ways of organising their health care systems. The place for pharmaceuticals within these systems also differ. This article looks into the price- and reimbursement systems for medicinal products in Germany, Sweden, the UK and Norway. Various ways of organising the pharmaceutical market emerge. Some existing measures have been in place for a long time while others have been introduced more recently. A common goal for the four countries seems to be the drive to cut costs, and attempts to do this can be directed through various reimbursement systems, by focusing on prices or by influencing the physicians' prescribing behaviour, either through the use of advice or through the use of budgets. It is important for the pharmacists to have in-depth knowledge of the price- and reimbursement system they have to work within in order to be of full service to their customers.

Drug Costs↗
PubMed1996

The societal value of pharmaceuticals. Balancing industrial and healthcare policy.

Pharmaceutical policy arises through an ongoing process of negotiation and interaction among the key players in the pharmaceutical market: consumers, industry, healthcare providers and government. There is constant discussion about the just distribution of reward between cost-containment goals and the goals of research and development in the pharmaceutical arena. All industrial countries are under pressure to control healthcare costs, but it is unclear how cost-containment policies will influence industrial policies for pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceutical industry is an easy target for governmental cost-containment policies. The industry is driven by 3 issues: access to consumers, access to new technology and new competitive realities. The launch of a new, innovative product that represents a significant therapeutic breakthrough is becoming increasingly difficult, and a major challenge for politicians and governments will be to balance the need for cost-effective use of drugs and the need to create a favourable climate for innovation. Previously, there was generally little competition between pharmaceutical companies, but those companies will now have to undergo fundamental and comprehensive changes. Particularly, it will be important to have extremely well developed and integrated management systems focusing on both consumers and costs.

Drug Industry↗
PubMed1994

[Economical evaluation of drugs. A steering method for the pharmaceutical sector of the 1990's?].

Pharmaceutical products are important welfare goods both to individuals and to societies. Political authorities in Norway have high ambitions: pharmaceutical products should be of the best quality and available to people independent of their financial means. However, decreased economic growth, an increasing proportion of the health care needed by the elderly and accelerating developments in the medical field have led to a closer scrutiny of prices, costs and the extent of the public sector's responsibility in different parts of the health care system. Economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals is a supplement to the extensive and expensive clinical evaluations that have been going on for many years in the pharmaceutical industry. Information on cost-effectiveness of new products has internationally become more important and is needed in connection with subsidizing, prescriptions and distribution of drugs. The purpose of this article is to show how economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals could be used to increase efficiency in the Norwegian drug sector. The article also suggests how public guidelines could be established and how economic evaluations should be used, and considers the organisational consequences for the public sector.

Cost Savings↗