ArticleBMC health services research2019
Evaluating the impact of the single exit price policy on a basket of originator medicines in South Africa from 1999 to 2014 using a time series analysis.
Article in BMC health services research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Evidence on the effectiveness of policies promoting price transparency - A systematic review.Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2023Pooled it
- Implementation of medicines pricing policies in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review.Systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Lived experiences of ethical dilemmas in pricing life-saving medicines among private-sector pharmacists in Zimbabwe.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2026Article
- Voluntary information and price sharing database - a scoping review of the pricing and procurement landscape across eight Commonwealth Member States.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2025Review
- Understanding medicine access strategies for innovator medicines registered in South Africa.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Cost and availability of selected medicines after implementation of increased import verification fees.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Effects of transparent online open procurement on prices, volumes, and costs of medicines: an interrupted time series study in Ningxia, China.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2024Article
- A desktop review of evaluation of implementation of national medicines policies in SADC countries.Heliyon · 2023Review
- Budget cap and pay-back model to control spending on medicines: A case study of Bulgaria.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Implementation of medicines pricing policies in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a systematic review.BMJ open · 2021Article
- Essential Medicines in Universal Health Coverage: A Scoping Review of Public Health Law Interventions and How They Are Measured in Five Middle-Income Countries.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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2 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAffordability and availability of quality medicines to all its citizens has been a key priority area for South Africa since democracy in 1994. In order to introduce transparency in the private market the government introduced the Single Exit Price (SEP) for medicines in 2004, for all prescription medicines, comprising of a fixed ex-factory price with a logistics fee component (and value added tax) for medicines sold to all purchasers other than the State. This is complemented with a provision for an annual regulated maximum percentage increase. The study evaluates the impact of the SEP on a basket of originator medicines, in terms of costs, immediate price reductions and projected price reductions.
methodThis is an analytical, quantitative study. A basket of medicines was selected, based on the WHO/HAI list, and adapted to include registered medicines in South Africa. Prices of 50 originator medicines were assessed from 1999 to 2014 in terms of the single exit price and the changes in prices in accordance with legislation using a time series analysis methodology.
resultsOf the 50 originator medicines investigated 35 showed a statistically significant change in level. For the Global Core list, the percentage change ranged from 2.45-39.12% (mean = 19.87%, SD = 10.62%, IQR = 10.2%). The range for the Regional Core list was 1.77-42.17% (mean = 23.38%, SD = 12.43%, IQR = 15.65%). The Supplementary list was 11.68-55.86% (mean = 22.97%, SD = 16.26%, IQR = 17.34). This study indicates that the SEP regulation had an impact on medicine pricing in South Africa in both the short and long term. Most medicines investigated showed a smaller yearly increase in price compared to before regulations due to the controlled pricing environment introduced by Government.
conclusionThis study provides evidence of the impact of medicine pricing intervention from a middle-income country, and other developing countries looking at introducing medicine price controls can draw useful lessons.
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