Prescription drugs quality

Each of the countries operates a quality analysis system for post-marketing control of drug quality, albeit with vast differences in capacity. Data on the outcome measure for drug quality— the number of dmg samples that failed quality tests compared with the total number of samples collected— are available in all the countries, except the Netherlands. Failure rates are high in some countries, e.g. Tunisia and Uganda. In Australia, high failure rates are found for herbal and other complementary products, compared with prescription dmgs. Empirical data on sanctions applied in such instances are not available. 

The market for pharmaceutical products clearly deviates from these preconditions in important respects. Product heterogeneity is the least critical of these preconditions since competitive markets would require only that consumers be able to assess differences in value (or quality) between goods with different products. Inadequacy of information, however, is a major problem, not only for consumers of prescription drugs, but for physicians in their roles as prescribers as well. Furthermore, whatever its merits may be, the patent system precludes free entry. 

The purpose of the cGMP requirement is to prevent injury and death by building quality into the design and production of pharmaceuticals, 2 so that substandard prescription drugs do not jeopardize the health and safety of the patients. 

Its mission is to ensure effective, up-to-date health care coverage and quality care for beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid, two programs that provide prescription drug benefits. 

What quality measures have been proposed and tested to compare prescription drug plans and pharmacies ... 

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