Out-of-pocket pharmaceutical expenditure and potential misuse of public resources - analysis in the Italian context.

ABSTRACT: The increase in longevity determines a greater need to receive medical care and pharmacological treatments. The introduction of patient cost-sharing in pharmaceutical expenditures aims to finance the National/Regional Health System while simultaneously reducing excessive consumption of health services. However, in the context of national health insurance, decreasing drug expenditures can lead to increased hospitalization costs. This phenomenon highlights the complexity of healthcare financing, where measures intended to control spending in one area may inadvertently escalate costs in another, necessitating a careful evaluation of health policies and their broader implications on patient care and system sustainability. The main focus of the analysis is to examine drug expenditures and the p

SUBMITTER: Maurmo L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12007333 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature