Access and use of WHO essential medicines in Italy.


Journal

Frontiers in public health
ISSN: 2296-2565
Titre abrégé: Front Public Health
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101616579

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
2023
Historique:
received: 24 04 2023
accepted: 13 09 2023
medline: 27 10 2023
pubmed: 26 10 2023
entrez: 26 10 2023
Statut: epublish

Résumé

Many countries use the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML) as a guide for health policy choices to promote the efficient use of healthcare resources or adopt the concept of essential medicines (EMs) to develop their own national list of essential medicines. The aim of this study is to analyse the availability and use of medicines included in the 22nd WHO EML in Italy. Using the ATC code (5th level), a comparison was made between the medicines included in the WHO EML and those retrieved from the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) database. The availability (regulatory and reimbursement status) of EMs, as well as the market share in expenditure (million euros) and consumption [measured in WHO-defined daily doses (DDDs)], compared to all reimbursed medicines in 2021, were analysed. In 2021, approximately 85.2% ( In Italy, high coverage of EMs was found. It was largely reimbursed by the INHS, even when compared to other European countries. Essential medicines represented a high percentage of the overall expenditure and consumption in Italy. The WHO EML could be an important tool to guide the health policy choices of high-income countries, although a more frequent update and easier access to information on rejected medicines are needed.

Sections du résumé

Background
Many countries use the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML) as a guide for health policy choices to promote the efficient use of healthcare resources or adopt the concept of essential medicines (EMs) to develop their own national list of essential medicines. The aim of this study is to analyse the availability and use of medicines included in the 22nd WHO EML in Italy.
Methods
Using the ATC code (5th level), a comparison was made between the medicines included in the WHO EML and those retrieved from the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) database. The availability (regulatory and reimbursement status) of EMs, as well as the market share in expenditure (million euros) and consumption [measured in WHO-defined daily doses (DDDs)], compared to all reimbursed medicines in 2021, were analysed.
Results
In 2021, approximately 85.2% (
Conclusions
In Italy, high coverage of EMs was found. It was largely reimbursed by the INHS, even when compared to other European countries. Essential medicines represented a high percentage of the overall expenditure and consumption in Italy. The WHO EML could be an important tool to guide the health policy choices of high-income countries, although a more frequent update and easier access to information on rejected medicines are needed.

Identifiants

pubmed: 37881343
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1211208
pmc: PMC10595003
doi:

Substances chimiques

Antineoplastic Agents 0
Drugs, Essential 0

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

1211208

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2023 Petrella, Fortinguerra, Cangini, Pierantozzi and Trotta.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Auteurs

Alessandro Petrella (A)

Italian Medicines Agency, Rome, Italy.

Filomena Fortinguerra (F)

Italian Medicines Agency, Rome, Italy.

Agnese Cangini (A)

Italian Medicines Agency, Rome, Italy.

Andrea Pierantozzi (A)

Italian Medicines Agency, Rome, Italy.

Francesco Trotta (F)

Italian Medicines Agency, Rome, Italy.

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Classifications MeSH