scholarly journals Parallel importation as a policy option to reduce price of patented health technologies

Author(s):  
Muhammad Zaheer Abbas

The COVID-19 pandemic has burdened most of the health systems around the world. Governments, especially in resource-constrained low- and middle-income countries, are finding it hard to meet the health needs of their nationals. Patent exclusive rights further add to the cost of healthcare by allowing supra-competitive prices of protected technologies. Parallel importation of patented health technologies is a legitimate policy option to obtain patented health technologies at a reduced price. This paper examines the legality and practical significance of parallel trade of patented medicines as a price-reducing policy option and evaluates some of the practical hurdles in the actual use of this important public health flexibility. This study supports the adoption of international exhaustion of patent rights as a mandatory rule for the international trading system.

Author(s):  
Muhammad Zaheer Abbas

The current COVID-19 pandemic has put the problem of equitable access to health technologies in the limelight because governments, even in the economically advanced countries, are struggling to meet the health needs of their populations. Tiered pricing of innovative health technologies, which involves the division of markets into different tiers or groups, provides a legitimate policy tool to alleviate some of the COVID-19 financial burdens on global health systems. Differential pricing denotes the practice of companies to charge different prices for the same product depending on the different classes of purchasers. This paper examines the legality and practical significance of tiered pricing as a price-reducing policy option and discusses some of the key limitations of this important policy tool. This study proposes the adoption of a global framework for sustainable pricing and tiered pricing of innovative health technologies. The proposed global framework will help in achieving a balance between fair access and fair profit levels.


The article is devoted to reengineering of technological processes - a method of their qualitative transformation on an innovative basis, which in turn assumes the availability of tools that make it possible to establish the economic efficiency and technical capability of such transformations of construction production, to identify the effect of their implementation. In this regard, the problem of forming a parametric model of reengineering of construction technological processes, which involves four enlarged groups of indicators that reflect the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the processes: materials used, working time, machine time, spatial organization, is considered. It is established that parameters can have either an absolute (physical, cost) or relative (point, percentage) expression and also make their own decomposition. The practical significance of the provisions given in the article is determined by the development of methods of technical rationing, which leads to a reduction in the cost and duration of construction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1182-1194
Author(s):  
A.A. Akhmetzyanov ◽  
A.Yu. Sokolov

Subject. The article focuses on the advanced time-driven tools for allocating overhead expenses, which are based on process-based budgeting. Objectives. We articulate a technique for cost allocation so as to assess the cost of each process with reference to the common time driver. Methods. The study relies upon methods of systematization, classification, analogy and comparison, and summarizes the scientific literature on the subject. Results. The article presents our own suggestions on implementing TD-ABC and TD-ABB into the strategic management accounting process of developer companies. The principles were proved to help more effectively allocate overhead expenses and assess the capacity load of each process performed by functions, departments and employees. Carrying out a comparative analysis, we found certain reserves for utilizing resources more effectively. Conclusions and Relevance. The findings are of scientific and practical significance and can be used by developer and construction businesses. The conclusions can prove helpful for scientific papers, student books, and further research.


Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 707
Author(s):  
Afifah Machlaurin ◽  
Franklin Christiaan Karel Dolk ◽  
Didik Setiawan ◽  
Tjipke Sytse van der Werf ◽  
Maarten J. Postma

Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG), the only available vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), has been applied for decades. The Indonesian government recently introduced a national TB disease control programme that includes several action plans, notably enhanced vaccination coverage, which can be strengthened through underpinning its favourable cost-effectiveness. We designed a Markov model to assess the cost-effectiveness of Indonesia’s current BCG vaccination programme. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were evaluated from the perspectives of both society and healthcare. The robustness of the analysis was confirmed through univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA). Using epidemiological data compiled for Indonesia, BCG vaccination at a price US$14 was estimated to be a cost-effective strategy in controlling TB disease. From societal and healthcare perspectives, ICERs were US$104 and US$112 per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), respectively. The results were robust for variations of most variables in the univariate analysis. Notably, the vaccine’s effectiveness regarding disease protection, vaccination costs, and case detection rates were key drivers for cost-effectiveness. The PSA results indicated that vaccination was cost-effective even at US$175 threshold in 95% of cases, approximating the monthly GDP per capita. Our findings suggest that this strategy was highly cost-effective and merits prioritization and extension within the national TB programme. Our results may be relevant for other high endemic low- and middle-income countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajabali Daroudi ◽  
Ali Akbari Sari ◽  
Azin Nahvijou ◽  
Ahmad Faramarzi

Abstract Background Determining the cost-effectiveness thresholds for healthcare interventions has been a severe challenge for policymakers, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to estimate the cost per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted for countries with different levels of Human Development Index (HDI) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Methods The data about DALYs, per capita health expenditure (HE), HDI, and GDP per capita were extracted for 176 countries during the years 2000 to 2016. Then we examined the trends on these variables. Panel regression analysis was performed to explore the correlation between DALY and HE per capita. The results of the regression models were used to calculate the cost per DALY averted for each country. Results Age-standardized rate (ASR) DALY (DALY per 100,000 population) had a nonlinear inverse correlation with HE per capita and a linear inverse correlation with HDI. One percent increase in HE per capita was associated with an average of 0.28, 0.24, 0.18, and 0.27% decrease on the ASR DALY in low HDI, medium HDI, high HDI, and very high HDI countries, respectively. The estimated cost per DALY averted was $998, $6522, $23,782, and $69,499 in low HDI, medium HDI, high HDI, and very high HDI countries. On average, the cost per DALY averted was 0.34 times the GDP per capita in low HDI countries. While in medium HDI, high HDI, and very high HDI countries, it was 0.67, 1.22, and 1.46 times the GDP per capita, respectively. Conclusions This study suggests that the cost-effectiveness thresholds might be less than a GDP per capita in low and medium HDI countries and between one and two GDP per capita in high and very high HDI countries.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Ricardo Alves ◽  
Carla Lopes ◽  
Sara Rodrigues ◽  
Julian Perelman

Abstract Background: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been decreasing in southern Europe, which could be linked to several cultural or educational factors. Our aim is to evaluate the extent to which economic aspects may also play a role, exploring the relationship between food prices in Portugal and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Methods: We evaluated data from the Portuguese National Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015-2016) (n=3,591). Diet expenditures were estimated by attributing a retail price to each food group and the diet was transposed into the Mediterranean Diet Score used in the literature. Prices were gathered from five supermarket chains (65% of the Portuguese market share). Linear regression models were used to assess the association between different adherence levels to the MD levels and dietary costs. Results: Greater adherence to the MD was associated with a 21.2% (p< 0.05) rise in total dietary cost, which accounts for more 0.59€ in mean daily costs when compared with low adherence. High adherence individuals (vs. low adherence) had higher absolute mean daily costs with fish (0.62€/+285.8%; p< 0.05), fruits (0.26€/+115.8%; p< 0.05), and vegetables (0.10€/+100.9%; p< 0.05). The analysis stratified by education and income level showed significantly higher mean daily diet cost only amongst higher income groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that greater adherence to the MD was positively and significantly associated with higher total dietary cost. Policies to improve population’s diet should take into consideration the cost of healthy foods, especially for large low- and middle-income families.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Piaggio ◽  
Rossana Castaldo ◽  
Marco Cinelli ◽  
Sara Cinelli ◽  
Alessia Maccaro ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To date (April 2021), medical device (MD) design approaches have failed to consider the contexts where MDs can be operationalised. Although most of the global population lives and is treated in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMCIs), over 80% of the MD market share is in high-resource settings, which set de facto standards that cannot be taken for granted in lower resource settings. Using a MD designed for high-resource settings in LMICs may hinder its safe and efficient operationalisation. In the literature, many criteria for frameworks to support resilient MD design were presented. However, since the available criteria (as of 2021) are far from being consensual and comprehensive, the aim of this study is to raise awareness about such challenges and to scope experts’ consensus regarding the essentiality of MD design criteria. Results This paper presents a novel application of Delphi study and Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to develop a framework comprising 26 essential criteria, which were evaluated and chosen by international experts coming from different parts of the world. This framework was validated by analysing some MDs presented in the WHO Compendium of innovative health technologies for low-resource settings. Conclusions This novel holistic framework takes into account some domains that are usually underestimated by MDs designers. For this reason, it can be used by experts designing MDs resilient to low-resource settings and it can also assist policymakers and non-governmental organisations in shaping the future of global healthcare.


Author(s):  
O. Gertsiy

The main characteristics of graphic information compression methods with losses and without losses (RLE, LZW, Huffman's method, DEFLATE, JBIG, JPEG, JPEG 2000, Lossless JPEG, fractal and Wawelet) are analyzed in the article. Effective transmission and storage of images in railway communication systems is an important task now. Because large images require large storage resources. This task has become very important in recent years, as the problems of information transmission by telecommunication channels of the transport infrastructure have become urgent. There is also a great need for video conferencing, where the task is to effectively compress video data - because the greater the amount of data, the greater the cost of transmitting information, respectively. Therefore, the use of image compression methods that reduce the file size is the solution to this task. The study highlights the advantages and disadvantages of compression methods. The comparative analysis the basic possibilities of compression methods of graphic information is carried out. The relevance lies in the efficient transfer and storage of graphical information, as big data requires large resources for storage. The practical significance lies in solving the problem of effectively reducing the data size by applying known compression methods.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 42-51
Author(s):  
V. S. Plotnikov ◽  
O. V. Plotnikova

The article is devoted to the problem of accounting reflection of rental relations, which has been the subject of discussion by professional accountants for more than 100 years. At present, more standards are devoted to this problem in world practice than to other accounting objects. Nevertheless, a number of issues remain unresolved. The methodological framework of the study is based on a comparative description of the provisions of IFRS 16 “Leases” and FSBU 25/2018 “Accounting for Leases” and includes a new institutional theory, Conceptual framework for the presentation of financial statements. The research methodology provides for the reclassification of balance sheet items, which allows for significant structural information regarding the reflection of rental objects. The analysis revealed the following differences in standards: the Russian FSBU 25/2018 unreasonably introduces accounting for leasing transactions into the financial lease accounting system; insufficiently convincingly and without proper evidence the issues of identification of financial lease accounting objects are covered. The prospective direction of accounting for financial leases is the possibility of reflecting the property transferred by the lessee as an element of the cost of financial capital, at the same time, the tenant’s long-term obligations should be recognized as existing obligations. The practical significance of the study is determined by the possibility of reducing the level of debt in the balance of the parties to the lease transaction.


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