International Reference Pricing Analysis of Medicines in Türkiye by 2023

OBJECTIVES: In Türkiye, the international reference pricing (IRP) system determines medicine prices based on equivalent drugs in the domestic market and the price of new medications. The reference price, set by the country with the lowest manufacturer sale price, serves as the list price in Türkiye. This study analyses the 2023 results of the IRP system in Türkiye.

METHODS: Data for the study was collected from the Detailed Medicine Price List on December 29, 2023, and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. The analysis focused on the original and generic status, country-based distribution, manufacturer's sale price, and reference pricing of medicines. The study excluded medicines where Türkiye was used as a reference country, those with multiple reference countries, non-reimbursement medicines, non-prescription medicines, single generic medicines without equivalents, and traditional herbal medicines from its scope.

RESULTS: In total, 5,840 medicines were analyzed, of which 3,514 were generic medicines and 2,326 were original medicines. Reference countries for original medicine prices were Greece (20.5%), France (16.6%), Italy (12.4%), and Spain (12.3%). For generic medicines, references were Greece (26.8%), France (19.3%), Italy (13.4%), and Spain (12.5%). Additionally, 9.5% of original and 4.1% of generic medicines had reference prices from Germany, an unofficial reference country. The percentage of drugs that were referenced from Germany exceeded that of Portugal, which is an officially recognized reference country. The average manufacturer's sale price for original medicines was determined to be TRY8,724, and it was TRY1,623 for generic medicines.

CONCLUSIONS: Greece was found to be the predominant reference country for price comparison. Consequently, the average manufacturer sale price for generic medicines was significantly lower than that of original medicines. Comparing the results to 2022, the reference country ratios remained similar, however the average prices of both generic and original medicines increased from the previous year.