Understanding public procurement within the health sector: A priority in a post-COVID-19 world

Anna García-Altés, Martin McKee, Luigi Siciliani, Pedro Pita Barros, Lasse Lehtonen, Heather Rogers, Dionne Kringos, Jelka Zaletel, Jan De Maeseneer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Every year, over 250,000 public authorities in the European Union (EU) spend about 14% of GDP on the purchase of services, works and supplies. Many are in the health sector, a sector in which public authorities are the main buyers in many countries. When these purchases exceed threshold values, EU public procurement rules apply. Public procurement is increasingly being promoted as a tool for improving efficiency and contributing to better health outcomes, and as a policy lever for achieving other government goals, such as innovation, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, sustainable green growth and social objectives like public health and greater inclusiveness. In this paper, we describe the challenges that arise within health care systems with public procurement and identify potential solutions to them. We examined the tendering of pharmaceuticals, health technology, and e-health. In each case we identify a series of challenges relating to the complexity of the procurement process, imbalances in power on either side of transactions and the role of procurement in promoting broader public policy objectives. Finally, we recommend several actions that could stimulate better procurement, and suggest a few areas where further EU cooperation can be pursued.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)172-185
Number of pages14
JournalHealth economics, policy, and law
Volume18
Issue number2
Early online date27 Jul 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2022

Keywords

  • public procurement
  • pharmaceuticals
  • health technology
  • e-Health

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