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Fairness in the trade-off between drug price regulation and investments in research and development: A survey of economists

Author

Listed:
  • Taruja Karmarkar

    (Center for Observational and Real-World Evidence (CORE), Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. Dr. Karmarkar was a doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health at the time this study was conducted.)

  • Antonio J. Trujillo

    (Associate Professor, Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University)

  • William Padula

    (Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics, University of Southern California School of Pharmacy)

  • Jeremy Greene

    (Professor of Medicine and History of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

  • G. Caleb Alexander

    (Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)

  • Gerard Anderson

    (Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)

Abstract

One of the most important policy issues in pharmaceuticals is the tradeoff between innovation and access. High drug prices promote additional research and development while hampering access. We used the behavioral economics theory of dual-entitlement to design a survey of economists who are members of the National Bureau of Economic Research to investigate the role of fairness in the prescription United States drug market. Sixty-two percent of respondents expected that price regulation would have a large or moderate impact on research and development by pharmaceutical manufacturers. The survey respondents reported manufacturers should be compensated for the upfront investments and risks they take in the drug development process. However, they also believed that prices were impeding access, especially for low-income patients, and making it more difficult for federal state and local governments to control drug spending. Taken together, these responses represent the tension between pricing, innovation and access.

Suggested Citation

  • Taruja Karmarkar & Antonio J. Trujillo & William Padula & Jeremy Greene & G. Caleb Alexander & Gerard Anderson, 2020. "Fairness in the trade-off between drug price regulation and investments in research and development: A survey of economists," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 4(1), pages 49-55, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:beh:jbepv1:v:4:y:2020:i:1:p:49-55
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    price regulation; research and development; dual-entitlement; expert opinion; innovation; incentives;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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