Impact of Prices and the European Union Countries Policy on the Parallel Imports of Medicinal Products Cover Image

Wpływ cen i polityki cenowej państw Unii Europejskiej na import równoległy produktów leczniczych
Impact of Prices and the European Union Countries Policy on the Parallel Imports of Medicinal Products

Author(s): Aleksandra Czerw
Subject(s): Health and medicine and law, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment
Published by: Instytut Badań Rynku, Konsumpcji i Koniunktur
Keywords: parallel imports of pharmaceuticals; trade in medicinal products; third degree price discrimination;

Summary/Abstract: Objective: to explain the notion of parallel imports in the market for pharmaceuticals, to describe the processes of its functioning and to present the mechanism of impact of the price for medicinal products and drug policy of the European Union member states on parallel imports of medicines. Result: the factor causing the phenomenon of parallel imports is the price difference of the same medicines in various countries of the European Union. For example, in Germany, the United Kingdom or the Netherlands, prices for pharmaceuticals are considerably higher than in Greece or Spain. Conclusion: differences in prices for medicines in individual countries of the European Union and the phenomenon of third degree price discrimination are the direct and main economic reasons enabling the occurrence of parallel imports of medicinal products.

  • Issue Year: 2012
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 64-73
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Polish