Uncertainties in regional policy-making: how to allocate joint costs of plasma to drugs?

The cost of plasma-derived drugs (PDDs) – deriving from the fractionation of the blood component plasma – is an unexplored field in the international and national research. In Italy, public managers are asked to choose which mix of PDDs to obtain and/or provide; they must choose between different strategies: production in toll agreement, purchase at market/transfer price or a mix of the previous two. The study aims to calculate the costs of PDDs and to reflect on the implication of the results obtained. The analysis is based on the data available in regionally-published documents. The results underscore a lack of cost data and cost elements for public health policies. The study opens future research in this field.