Abstract

DIAZ-ROJAS, Jorge Augusto; RODRIGUEZ-MARCELES, Máximo; RODRIGUEZ-ROMERO, Alexander  and  BROWN, Paul. Impact of group purchasing in cooperative of hospital in Colombia, using a price index from 1999 to 2012. Rev. colomb. cienc. quim. farm. [online]. 2013, vol.42, n.1, pp.80-102. ISSN 0034-7418.

The application of price indices is useful to analyze the behavior of prices as an important component in patients´ access to essential medications over a period of time. The present work analyzed the variation in the prices of 303 medications sold by a cooperative of hospitals in central Colombia between 1999 and 2010 by applying inflation-adjusted price indices and Laspeyres-Paasche quantities by ABC groups and principal therapeuticals in the first and second ATC (anatomic, therapeutical, chemical) level, taking 1999 as the starting year. The medications of type A and B, as well as those belonging to the first four therapeutical groups in the first ATC level in cost and for seven groups in the second ATC level, registered a drop between 40 and 53% (P < 0.05) in the applied price indices. In addition, all the ABC and ATC groups showed increases between 9 and 12 times (P < 0.01) when applying the indices on units sold. The estimated net saving in 2010 at prices of 1999, went above $ 16.9 billion COP. This impact on prices has helped to expand the coverage in essential medications supplied to the public hospitals which are afterwards administered to the patients of this region of Colombia.

Keywords : prices of medications; use of medications; pharmaceutical economics.

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