The Effects of Pharmaceutical Politics of Turkey on Pharmaceutical Expenditures and Pharmaceutical Market: 2003-2015

Turkey s drug policy has been focusing on pricing and refunding of medicines over the next 13 years from 2003. The aim of the study is to determine effects of drug pricing and refunding policies applied in line with Health Transformation Program during the period 2003 through 2015 in Turkey on Turkish pharmaceutical market and Turkish pharmaceutical expenditures. The data used in the study were taken from the statistical records published on the website of Intercontinental Marketing Services – Health (IMS Health) and Social Security Institution (SGK). 13-year period between the years 2003-2015 of the Turkish pharmaceutical market and the changes in Social Security Institution drug expenditures have been evaluated. According to the findings of the study, it has been determined that the Turkish pharmaceutical market grew 3,2 times in TL over the 13-yearperiod. The fastest growth rate in the Turkish pharmaceutical market was determined to be 46% on the basis of TL and 42% on the basis of piece-box in 2005. The rapid increase in the drug market is assumed to be due to the fact that the Social Insurance Institution (SSK) members and green card patients started to supply their medicines from free pharmacies in 2005. It has been determined that SGK health expenditures have increased steadily and reached to 54.603 Million TL in 2014 and that 67% of these expenditures are due to treatment expenditures. Drug expenditures and the increase in the pharmaceutical market in Turkey between 2006 and 2013 have slowed down gradually and in some years the Turkish pharmaceuticalmarket has not grown compared to the previous year. This is due to regulations on drug pricing and drug refunding for control of drugexpenditures. Between the years 2013-2015; it has been determined that the growth rate of the pharmaceutical market has increased from 6,5% to15,5%. Between 2011 and 2015, the average cost per prescription increased from 44,95TL to 53,37TL. It has been thought that the increase in cost of prescription results from increase in the number of medicines placed in prescriptions and/or prescriptions of the expensive reference medicines.