Breve 25: Access, development, and economic regulation of the pharmaceutical market in Brazil

Health spending has been growing at a much higher rate than the income of countries practically all over the world. This increase is due to many factors such as the demographic and epidemiological transition, the increase in the expectations of the middle class and, mainly, the presence of more and better health technologies, such as medicines and medical devices. The case of Brazil does not escape the general rule. Expenditure on medicines increased by 40% from 2010 to 2015. Currently, this expenditure represents 16% of the public health budget. To face this challenge, the country has implemented pharmaceutical pricing policies among its strategies. This document presents the main strategies that the country has adopted, and the results achieved to date; highlighting the importance of regulatory designs aligned with the policy objectives and the local contexts.