In the land of the free market, the idea of the government influencing the choice and cost of medicines is heresy. But that’s exactly what’s in store for the US, as it tries to rein in its healthcare costs, which threaten to cripple the economy if left unchecked.
Other countries have already taken steps to deal with such problems. The UK set up the National Institute for ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 1999 to decide which drugs the country’s National ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ Service could use (see “UK’s gatekeeper has the final say”). Similar organisations operate in Australia and Canada,…
