Impact of Health Policy Changes on Trends in the Pharmaceutical Market in Turkey.

Background: The implementation phase of the Turkish Health Transformation Program (HTP) began in 2003, with the aim of organizing, financing, and delivering health care services effectively, efficiently, and equally. The HTP impacted all clinical and economic outcomes of health, including pharmaceutical sales, by improving access to health services.

Objectives: To understand the impact of five selected major policy changes that made an impact on supply, demand, or price in the pharmaceutical market between 1998 and 2012.

Efficacy of sorafenib in advanced differentiated and medullary thyroid cancer: experience in a Turkish population.

Background: Antivascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been used recently in the treatment of advanced differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Off-label sorafenib is used in Turkey with special permission by the Ministry of Health for this indication.

Patients And Methods: Patients with advanced DTC and MTC were retrospectively identified from the Turkish Ministry of Health database.