Inducing competition between pharmaceutical companies could lessen the financial exhaustion, but National Health Insurance (NHI) reimbursement listing procedure would get delayed. Such is an irony we witness during high-cost new drug listing or reimbursement expansion procedures in Korea.

The government could take an advantage of price competition between companies as drugs are expensive. Under the NHI system, savings could open up more opportunities. And more savings could affect coverage enhancement.

But the issue is timing. It would be preferable to review reimbursement for all same-class drugs at once, but it is hardly feasible.

Typically ranging from six months to ov