Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31289948›Full record

SynthesisThe European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care2019

International impact of external reference pricing: should national policy-makers care?

Anna-Maria Fontrier, Jennifer Gill, Panos Kanavos

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Does external reference pricing deliver what it promises? Evidence on its impact at national level.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2020
    Pooled it
  2. Variations in external reference pricing implementation: does it matter for public policy?The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2019
    Pooled it
  3. Pricing of innovative medicines and advanced therapies worldwide: an scoping review.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Price determinants and pricing policies concerning potentially innovative health technologies: a scoping review.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026
    Article
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  7. Rare disease challenges and potential actions in the Middle East.International journal for equity in health · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Anna-Maria FontrierDepartment of Health Policy and LSE Health- Medical Technology Research Group, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK. a.fontrier@lse.ac.uk.
Jennifer GillDepartment of Health Policy and LSE Health- Medical Technology Research Group, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK.
Panos KanavosDepartment of Health Policy and LSE Health- Medical Technology Research Group, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExternal reference pricing (ERP) is widely used to regulate drug prices. Although the literature has largely focused on the impact of ERP on a number of policy endpoints and its impact from a geographical perspective, a comparative study drawing on evidence from different settings does not exist to date.

methodsA systematic literature review was conducted on pre-defined endpoints on the impact of ERP across countries, such as price stability, price convergence and launch delays. Expert consultation was undertaken to analyse whether or not the international implications of ERP are considered during its design.

results46 studies were included in the analysis. Across countries, ERP may cause launch delays, price instability and lead to price convergence. However, these effects cannot be solely attributed to ERP, as there may be other factors at play, such as the size and the GDP of a country and other regulations in place, which can trigger these effects or reduce their effect. Nevertheless, the nature of ERP facilitates these unintended consequences and directly links them to it. Despite these cross-country implications being well known to decision-makers, they are not necessarily considered during the design of ERP.

conclusionsAs the effects of ERP as a stand alone policy are very difficult to isolate in the presence of other regulatory measures implemented within countries and the presence of other extrinsic factors across countries, our findings are inconclusive. Still, there is an unquestionable unmet need related to the design of ERP systems to attain a positive impact internationally.

Indexed as

Costs and Cost AnalysisEconomics, PharmaceuticalAdministrative PersonnelCommerceDecision MakingDrug CostsDrug IndustryHealth PolicyHumansExpert consultationExternal reference pricingPharmaceutical policyPharmaceutical pricingRegulation of pharmaceuticalsSystematic review

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.