A rapidly changing global medicines environment: How adaptable are funding decision-making systems?

View Abstract

BACKGROUND

With the launch of very highly priced therapies and sudden price increases of generics, pressures on health systems have drastically increased.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to elicit opinions of key decision makers responsible for national assessment and funding decisions on their experiences to adapt to these new realities.

METHODS/SETTING

Through interviews with decision makers of pharmaceutical assessment and/or funding agencies, we describe the challenges systems are currently facing, systems' responses and systems' characteristics facilitating or hindering responses to changes and overarching topics for the future.

RESULTS

Among the most common challenges are increased funding pressures, increased uncertainty and lack of transparency in decision-making. Systems' responses include utilization management, changing of assessment processes, stakeholder engagement and a focus on outcomes and on coordinated negotiations. Integrated delivery systems, fixed health care budgets and geographic and historical characteristics facilitate or sometimes hinder responses to change. Future policy emphasis lays on expanding data structures, managing the exit of drugs funded early, and implementing processes for communications with patients and the public.

CONCLUSIONS

Going forward emphasis has to be given to structured communications with all stakeholders with a specific emphasis on the broader public and patients about financial limits and priority setting in health care.

Investigators
Abbreviation
Health Policy
Publication Date
2017-04-10
Pubmed ID
28449884
Medium
Print-Electronic
Full Title
A rapidly changing global medicines environment: How adaptable are funding decision-making systems?
Authors
Leopold C, Morgan SG, Wagner AK