Let’s be honest --the fundamental assumption behind the push for a comparative effectiveness agency in the US is that high drug prices are the primary reason American healthcare costs are on the rise. That's simply not true. Drug prices went up less than 1 percent last year, well below the rate of inflation. Pharmaceuticals are about 11% of our national healthcare spend – with on-patent medications representing only about 7 percent. (Something to remember when we debate the non-interference clause and drug importation.)
In theory, properly designed comparative effectiveness studies can be a valuable tool in patient care. In theory. But in practice, in an increasingly personalized world, do large scale studies such as ALLHAT and CATIE really help? Marginally – at best. But all they really end up accomplishing is reaffirming the outdated methodologies of a cost-based system, when what we really need are the proper tools for patient-centric medicine.
While it’s true that comparative effectiveness and healthcare technology assessment (HTA) aren’t the same thing – the question on the table is whether one inevitably leads to the other. And with all the attention being paid to the “need for a US NICE,” the answer is “yes.”
To read more on this topic – and why Senator Baucus needs to go back to the drawing board, click here.
In theory, properly designed comparative effectiveness studies can be a valuable tool in patient care. In theory. But in practice, in an increasingly personalized world, do large scale studies such as ALLHAT and CATIE really help? Marginally – at best. But all they really end up accomplishing is reaffirming the outdated methodologies of a cost-based system, when what we really need are the proper tools for patient-centric medicine.
While it’s true that comparative effectiveness and healthcare technology assessment (HTA) aren’t the same thing – the question on the table is whether one inevitably leads to the other. And with all the attention being paid to the “need for a US NICE,” the answer is “yes.”
To read more on this topic – and why Senator Baucus needs to go back to the drawing board, click here.
