The need for accurate and up-to-date country information has been broadly acknowledged. Information about specific issues of a country is of key importance for decision makers and
researchers, even if their needs with regard to the level of detail may vary. Within the framework of the PPRI (Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Information)
research project (2005 – beginning of 2008), the project consortium, consisting of the Austrian Health Institute (Gesundheit Österreich GmbH / Österreichisches Bundesinstitut für Gesundheitswesen) and the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the so-called ‘PPRI Pharma Profiles’ as a tool for understanding, collecting and analyzing pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement information. A key principle of the PPRI Pharma Profiles was that the Profiles were written by national country experts, usually staff of competent authorities for pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement (Ministries of Health, Medicines Agencies, Social Health Insurance institutions) represented in the PPRI network and that they were critically reviewed by project consortium members.