Constructing a single market for pharmaceuticals in the EU: what’s the price?

The European Union (EU) is currently overhauling its pharmaceutical regulations, seeking to mature a single market for medicines as part of a 'European Health Union'. We reflect on the interactions between regulations and markets in these reforms and investigate what this single market for medicines may mean in practice. We note how the proposed reforms aim to ensure equitable access to innovative treatments, yet at the same time, tie this access directly to regulatory exclusivities, limiting price competition. The reforms also do not seek full pricing transparency: prices will remain largely opaque and be set at the national levels rather than created through market exchange and open competition at the EU level. The envisioned single market for medicines thus remains a market that operates without direct reference to price - a situation not addressed head-on by the proposed reforms.

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Publication Details

Journal
Health Economics Policy and Law
Published
2025-10-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/s1744133125100236
Primary Topic
Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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Constructing a single market for pharmaceuticals in the EU: what’s the price?

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Constructing a single market for pharmaceuticals in the EU: what’s the price?

Katrina Perehudoff, Eva Hilberg, Sarah Wadmann, Rob Hagendijk, Susi Geiger, Tineke Kleinhout‐Vliek, Jakob Wested, Paul Martin
article en

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is currently overhauling its pharmaceutical regulations, seeking to mature a single market for medicines as part of a 'European Health Union'. We reflect on the interactions between regulations and markets in these reforms and investigate what this single market for medicines may mean in practice. We note how the proposed reforms aim to ensure equitable access to innovative treatments, yet at the same time, tie this access directly to regulatory exclusivities, limiting price competition. The reforms also do not seek full pricing transparency: prices will remain largely opaque and be set at the national levels rather than created through market exchange and open competition at the EU level. The envisioned single market for medicines thus remains a market that operates without direct reference to price - a situation not addressed head-on by the proposed reforms.

Health Economics Policy and Law
University College Dublin (IE), University of Copenhagen (DK), Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam (NL), VIVE - The Danish Center for Social Science Research (DK), Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (NL), University of Amsterdam (NL), University of Sheffield (GB)
Wellcome Trust, European Commission, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Openalex Percentile: Top 60%
Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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