Centralized Procurement and Delivery Times: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Italy

We study how delivery times and prices for hospital medical devices respond to the introduction of centralized procurement. Our identification strategy leverages a legislative change in Italy that mandated centralized purchases for a sub-set of devices. The statutory centralization generated a reduction in prices and an increase in delivery times for centralized purchases relative to non-centralized purchases. We use data on quantities and on suppliers to discuss the mechanisms potentially underlying our findings.

Clark, Robert, Decio Coviello und Adriano De Leverano (2021), Centralized Procurement and Delivery Times: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Italy, ZEW Discussion Paper Nr. 21-063, Mannheim.