Number of drugs provided by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and mortality and hospital utilization in Australia, 2002-2019.

ABSTRACT: We analyze the relationship between long-run changes in the drugs provided by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and mortality and hospital utilization in Australia, by analyzing the correlation across diseases between the change in the number of drugs used to treat the disease provided and the subsequent change in mortality or hospital utilization from that disease. Our estimates indicate that diseases for which there were larger increases in the number of PBS drugs tended to have smaller subsequent growth in premature (before ages 85, 75, and 65) mortality. Diseases for which there was larger growth in the number of PBS drugs also tended to have smaller growth in the number of hospital days 2-10 years later. The reduction in the number of hospital days appears to be primarily attri

SUBMITTER: Lichtenberg FR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10507438 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature