This book provides a complete approach to the economics of financing medicines and policy implications for the efficiency and equity of health systems. In all health systems with majority public financing, pharmaceutical reimbursement is one of the key factors in policies of change and transformation of health services in order to face the future with guarantees of financial sustainability. The initial chapters seek to answer questions about the efficiency with which the public sector intervenes in the pharmaceutical industry: Is the present system of drug patents efficient and fair? What would be the best way to control drug prices? Is it possible to encourage competition in this market for the patient's benefit? The remainder of the book provides evidence on the impact of instruments and policies aimed at rationalising and controlling pharmaceutical expenditure: What can we expect from the application of reference pricing systems? When, how and where should the user be made to share the cost of medicines? What economic and non-economic incentives should be applied to drug prescription?