Pharmaceutical management strategies of industrialized countries.

Health care costs as a percentage of the gross national product have been increasing in most industrialized countries. As part of the trend, pharmaceutical expenditures also have been rising. In many countries, pharmaceutical costs are the largest single health care expenditure. In an effort to contain rising costs, governments are exploring a variety of pharmaceutical management strategies. These include price controls, restrictive formularies, budget caps, profit controls, and practitioner education.