Pharmaceutical Expenditure Governance in the UK and Italy

The governance of pharmaceutical expenditure is a crucial issue in ensuring access to pharmaceutical care, especially in countries with universal healthcare systems where both the pricing and reimbursement of medicines are managed by public authorities. Through a comparative analysis of the challenges and policy solutions adopted by the United Kingdom and Italy, this article focuses on key issues related to the management of reimbursed medicine costs: the allocation of competences among public authorities, cost-effectiveness assessment, expenditure control, and price transparency. It highlights critical issues and outlines future research perspectives.