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Summary: Brazil

Brazil is the tenth largest pharmaceutical market in the world and the second largest in Latin America, with a small number of transnational companies accounting for most sales. After years of decline, the market started to recover in 2004, largely due to an impressive rise in sales of generic drugs.

Since there is no reimbursement system for medications, most of the population has to cover its own pharmaceutical costs. With that in mind, the government has been aggressively promoting generics and other policies that may help keep the prices of medicines down. Since 2000, regulation of the pharmaceutical market has become stricter and prices of most prescription medicines are under the control of a government agency.

Cost containment policies have started to show results, generics now represent 10% in value terms of the pharmaceutical bill with high growth rates expected for the coming years. Estimates however, are that up to 20% of the population still do not have access to any type of medicines or healthcare.