On average, oncology accounts for about 70% of hospital drug expenditures, according to IQVIA data covering the U.S. and 11 other countries.
Countries approach drug spending in several different ways, clinical research firm IQVIA said in an Oct. 21 report. For example, voluntary insurance schemes account for a significant portion of the U.S. market, while the United Kingdom’s single-payer system, the National Health Service, makes up most medicine expenditure.
Countries also vary widely on the proportion of medicines and type of therapy dispensed in hospitals, according to the report. To account for this, IQVIA analyzed total drug expenditures across these 12 countries: the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Spain, Italy, Australia, Germany, Belgium, France, Ireland, Canada and the U.K.
In calculating the average hospital share of drug expenditures, oncology emerged as the largest contributor to hospital drug spend. Infectious disease medications accounted for between 50% and 60% of pharmaceutical expenditures in the average hospital, according to the report.
The following therapy areas averaged the most to least in expenditures: vaccines, immunology/allergy, eye/ear, hematologies, pain, neurology, vitamins/minerals, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, endocrinology, genitourinary/women’s health, and dermatologics.
