Background: While there is currently no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment with biologic diseasemodifying drugs (bDMDs) can reduce the impact of the condition on the lives of patients. In Greece, the regulatory change in the distribution system of bDMDs, limited their administration through the designated pharmacies of the National Organization for Healthcare Services Provision (EOPYY) or the National Health System (ESY) hospitals, thus potentially impacting access to MS treatment. In this context, the aim of this paper was to assess the barriers to bDMDs, by recording MS patients' experiences. Methods: A survey research was conducted between January and February 2014 in Athens and 5 other major Greek cities with the methods of personal and telephone interview. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit socio-economic and medical information, information related to obstacles in accessing bDMDs and medical treatment, from MS patients that visited EOPYY pharmacies during the study period. Results: During the last year 69% of 179 participants reported that the distribution system of bDMDs has improved. Thirteen percent of participants encountered problems in accessing their medication, and 16.9% of participants in accessing their physician, with the obstacles being more pronounced for non-Athens residents. Frequent obstacles to bDMDs were the distance from EOPYY pharmacies and difficulties in obtaining a diagnosis from an EOPYY/ESY physician, while obstacles to medical care were delays in appointment booking and travel difficulties. Conclusion: Even though the major weaknesses of the distribution system of bDMDs have improved, further amelioration of the system could be achieved through the home delivery of medicines to patients living in remote areas, and through the development of a national MS registry.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the current regulatory environment in Greece to evaluate the potential introduction of health technology assessment (HTA) for medicinal products for human use.Methods: Data sources consist of national legislation on pricing and reimbursement of health technologies to identify the potential need of establishing HTA and its relevant structure.Results: The pricing procedure regarding medicinal products for human use is based on an external reference pricing mechanism which considers the average of the three lowest Euorpean Union prices. Currently, a formal HTA procedure has not been applied in Greece, and the only prerequisite used for the reimbursement of medicinal products for human use is their inclusion in the Positive Reimbursement List. To restrict pharmaceutical expenditure, a variety of measures—such as clawback mechanisms, rebates, monthly budget caps per physician, generics penetration targeting—have been imposed, aiming mainly to regulate the price level rather than control the introduction of medicinal products for human use in the Greek pharmaceutical market.Conclusions: Greece has the opportunity to rapidly build capacity, implement, and take advantage of the application of HTA mechanisms by clearly defining the goals, scope, systems, context, stakeholders, and methods that will be involved in the local HTA processes, taking into account the country's established e-prescription system and the recently adapted legislative framework.
Objectives: To define and develop risk -and more specifically market access riskas a framework towards understanding and evaluating stability in market access systems at an individual country level. MethOds: We created a combination model of rating quantitative and qualitative variables which affect a country's ability and willingness to pay for new drugs. The criterion for selection of variables is based on relevance, availability and uniformity in our model. We included a total of 42 variables categorised under three verticals -quantitative, qualitative and measures of stability. In order to derive a non-recursive model of ratings, we fit the regression equation for quantitative and qualitative variables as: Y(1) = α i + ∑β i *X i + ε (Equation 1.1) Y(2) = α j + ∑β j *X j + ε (Equation 1.2) where Y(1) and Y(2) are the market access risk ratings for quantitative and qualitative variables, X i and X j are vectors of independent quantitative and qualitative variables, and ε is the error term. The final score was derived by taking the geometric mean of the two ratings together with ratings for the measures of stability and is described as below: Total Risk Score = √Y(1)^2* Weight of Y(1) + Y(2)^2*Weight of Y(2) + Risk Rating (Measures of Stability)^2*Weight of (Measures of Stability). Results: We decided to aggregate risk scores from different countries into defined clusters -such as BRICS
Background: In Greece, due to the ongoing economic crisis a number of measures aiming at rationalising expenditure implemented. A new e-prescribing system, under a unified healthcare fund was the main pillar of these reforms focus on monitoring and auditing prescribing patterns.Objective: Main objective of this study was to document the Greek experience with the new national e-prescribing system. Methods:We analyse the dispensed prescriptions over the period 2013-2014, stratified into four levels: therapeutic subgroup, patent status, physician's specialty and geographical region.Results: Data analysis offered a comprehensive insight into pharmaceutical expenditure over the timeframe and revealed discrepancies regarding composition of spending, brand-generic substitution within certain therapeutic subgroups, physicians' prescribing behaviour based on medical specialty, therapeutic subgroup as well as regional per capita measures.Conclusions: E-prescribing system is a valuable tool providing sound information to health policymakers in order to monitor and rationalize pharmaceutical expenditure, in value and volume terms.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.