[Are drugs worth their cost?]

Abstract

Drugs constantly jeopardize the balance among Bioethical Principles governing Healthcare. Their correct use implies more than a correct clinical diagnosis and an academic prescription and demands thorough coordination among all healthcare levels (Regulatory Agencies, the State, the Pharmaceutical Industry and professionals) and the necessary incentive for the research and development process to provide true therapeutic innovations. The interannual growth of Pharmaceutical Expenditure in the public sector in the last few years has greatly exceeded growth in the consumer price index and the gross domestic product. The economic problem of drugs utilization therefore centers on their opportunity cost and on their impact on the sustainability of the system overall. Cost-utility, as an accepted principle for the incorporation and use of new technologies is not always taken into account in prioritization, decision-making and interventions.