A Comparative Study on Medicine Pricing in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS)

BACKGROUND: It is well documented that high prices hinder access to medicines to a large percentage of the population in low- and middle-income countries. It is with this in mind that governments have made attempts to control medicine pricing with the intent to protect and promote a country’s overall health. BRICS as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have collectively become to be known, represent five newly emerging global economies, each one attempting to control medicine pricing and improve accessibility.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the medicine pricing regulatory efforts made by each of the BRICS countries.

METHOD: This was achieved through the dissemination of an online survey posed to members of the BRICS Medicines Alliance. Questions in the survey looked at the presence of an essential’s medicines list; pricing regulations and control measures employed at the manufacturer, wholesaler and retail level.

RESULTS: The findings reveal that each country has adopted different paths and time frames toward policy and regulatory development.

CONCLUSION: Despite the variations in policy adoption, shared lessons can still be learnt from each country to improve the outcomes for each individual country and create an opportunity for pharmaceutical growth and transparency in medicine pricing.