They should take a look at how price controls in Europe have led to rationing of, and delayed access to, new anticancer drugs. In some countries, governments have banned new drugs that authorities think are too costly. Although a number of revolutionary new anticancer drugs are expected to reach the market just as the incidence of cancer begins to rise among Europe's aging populations, health officials are expected to keep them off pharmacy shelves for cost reasons. But it is still awaiting regulatory approval in most of Europe.
Officials employ various strategies to halt or delay the sale of costly new medications.
They can withhold or delay approval for sale. Or they can restrict demand with tight controls on prescribing new drugs. Or they can refuse to raise state hospital budgets enough to cover the cost. Such policies are shortsighted, since drug therapies are far less expensive than hospitalization. Observers report that Belgium and Norway are among the worst practitioners of such policies.