Molina-Salazar Raúl E, González-Marín Eloy, Carbajal-de Nova Carolina
Departamento de Economía, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, DF, México.
Salud Publica Mex. 2008;50 Suppl 4:S496-503. doi: 10.1590/s0036-36342008001000011.
The forms of market competition define prices. The pharmaceutical market contains submarkets with different levels of competition; on the one hand are the innovating products with patents, and on the other, generic products with or without trade names. Innovating medicines generally have monopolistic prices, but when the patents expire prices drop because of competition from therapeutic alternatives. The trade name makes it easier to maintain monopolistic prices. In Mexico, medicine prices in the private market are high--according to aggregated estimates and prices for specific medicines--which reflect the limitations of pharmaceutical market competition and the power of the trade name. The public segment enjoys competitive prices using the WHO strategy for essential medicines on the basis of the Essential List.
市场竞争形式决定价格。药品市场包含不同竞争程度的子市场；一方面是有专利的创新产品，另一方面是有或没有商品名的仿制药。创新药物通常具有垄断价格，但专利到期后，由于治疗替代方案的竞争，价格会下降。商品名有助于维持垄断价格。在墨西哥，根据总体估计和特定药品价格，私人市场上的药品价格很高，这反映了药品市场竞争的局限性和商品名的影响力。公共部门根据基本药物清单，采用世界卫生组织的基本药物战略，享有具有竞争力的价格。
