The economic and social impact of Via Verde do Medicamento on its stakeholders

  • Joana Mafalda Delgado Pedras (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

Better Health Care conditions have been a matter of substance for the past decades. Governments apply a substantial part of their GDP in order to provide population with more efficient and safer care, being medicines an ever increasing investment in terms of cost for the national health system. It is known that the development that has been occurring generates an introduction of new and better medicines. However, there are many challenges in controlling the supply of necessary products in the market, especially in the EU, due to unpredictable causes, raw material production or parallel trade. Parallel trade in the EU results from price differences in the markets and, when done in an uncontrolled way, could lead to shortages in product supply, which affects negatively the patients and, ultimately the population well-being. This thesis contributes to a better understanding of the pharmaceutical industry supply, the parallel trade and culminate with Via Verde do Medicamento, the project launched by INFARMED whose purpose is to decrease the number of product shortages in Portugal. The project aims to supply prescribed medicines that are part of the mandatory previous notification of exportation or distribution in other member states. This dissertation shows how the project works, what were the main results of the pilot project and the first results of the roll-out project in Pharma X, as well as, their impact in the society and its potential applications. Additionally, a questionnaire was made in order to understand the pharmacies perspective, along with their needs and concerns.
Date of Award19 May 2016
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorSusana Frazão Ferreira Fernandes Pinheiro (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Drug shortage
  • Drug supply
  • Parallel trade
  • Parallel imports

Designation

  • Mestrado em Gestão: Programa Internacional

Cite this

'