How to balance health and industrial goals: a study of the British pharmaceutical price regulation scheme

• Grant number: 17/19319-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 02, 2018
• End date: February 04, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Administration - Public Administration
• Principal Investigator: Elize Massard da Fonseca
• Grantee: Vinicius Letti Zacharias de Callis
• Supervisor: Kenneth Shadlen
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa (Insper). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 17/05554-5 - New frontiers in research and development of medicines: the experience of public-private partnerships in the pharmaceutical sector, BP.IC

Abstract

A key dilemma faced by industrialized nations is how to provide innovative medicines at affordable prices while maintaining a profitable pharmaceutical industry able to develop new drugs. The British Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) is a unique strategy that, instead of controlling drug prices, regulates the profit of pharmaceutical industries by supplying their products to the National Health Service (NHS). What is more puzzling about PPRS is that this regulatory policy was designed with a built-in mechanism to allow policy revision every five years. Despite major policy changes in the NHS and vociferous criticisms from different groups, PPRS has remained almost intact for more than 40 years. How (and why) has the U.K. developed such unique strategy to balance health and industrial goals? More interestingly, how has PPRS persisted throughout the years, despite the intense pressure to reform its content? This internship will conduct documentary research and interviews to explore the case of PPRS. The result of this investigation will contribute to the Scientific Initiation and the Young Investigator projects that investigate mechanisms and political underpinnings with a goal to foster collaboration between health and industrial policies. (AU)