Craine R B
Am J Cardiol. 1985 Aug 23;56(5):43C-46C. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(85)80009-6.
The pharmaceutical industry in the United States is comprised of 50 major companies whose total sales for 1983 were approximately $17 billion, slightly more than 10% of the total revenues of the hospital industry in the same year. Prescription drugs have long been considered a highly cost-effective treatment. Past history, consumer price indexes, a decline in share of health care spending and recent Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association studies all indicate that drugs represent an economical form of treatment that can reduce overall health care costs. It is clear that the pharmaceutical industry can play a prominent role in containing costs within the health care delivery system. Research-directed companies can effect economies by developing innovative therapies that replace less effective, older or more costly ones. The federal government has recently provided powerful incentives to foster expansion of the industry, in addition to enacting legislation to contain public health care costs. During 1985, the research-directed industry will invest close to $4 billion in both basic research and specific product development projects. The largest portion of these funds continues to be devoted to developing superior cardiovascular drugs. The industry is also searching for better ways to define, document and present the cost-effectiveness of its products.
美国制药行业由50家大公司组成，这些公司1983年的总销售额约为170亿美元，略高于同年医院行业总收入的10%。长期以来，处方药一直被视为一种性价比很高的治疗方式。过去的历史、消费者价格指数、医疗保健支出份额的下降以及制药商协会最近的研究均表明，药物是一种经济的治疗方式，能够降低总体医疗保健成本。显然，制药行业在控制医疗保健服务系统的成本方面能够发挥重要作用。专注于研发的公司可以通过开发创新疗法来实现节约，这些创新疗法可以取代效果较差、较老或成本更高的疗法。除了颁布控制公共医疗保健成本的立法外，联邦政府最近还提供了有力的激励措施来促进该行业的扩张。1985年期间，专注于研发的制药行业将在基础研究和特定产品开发项目上投资近40亿美元。这些资金的最大部分继续用于开发更优质的心血管药物。该行业也在寻找更好的方法来界定、记录和展示其产品的成本效益。
