Commentary: Accessibility of cancer drugs in Switzerland: Time from approval to pricing decision between 2009 and 2018

Frontiers in Public Health

article

Thomas Grischott¹ 

[1] Institute of Primary Care (IHAMZ), University and University Hospital of Zurich

关键词: cancer drugs;    approval;    reimbursement;    price negotiation;    health policy;    public health;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2020.00517

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

In Switzerland, medical drugs undergo a two-step procedure before they have to be reimbursedunder mandatory basic health insurance: A drug must first be approved by Swissmedic, the Swissequivalent of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency(EMA). Manufacturers may then request the approved drug to be included in the “specialitieslist” (SL) of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Prerequisite for SL inclusion area favorable evaluation of the new drug’s efficacy and expediency and the negotiation of a maximumprice between FOPH and manufacturer. With the successful SL inclusion begins the health insurers’statutory obligation to reimburse the drug costs up to the agreed maximum price.In their recent contribution “Accessibility of cancer drugs in Switzerland: Time from approval topricing decision between 2009 and 2018” (1), Vokinger and Muehlematter studied the time intervalbetween approval and SL inclusion of recent oncological drugs. A short interval is for the publicbenefit because most patients are not capable of paying for costly cancer drugs out of their ownpockets before the drugs are included in the SL. Vokinger and Muehlematter came to the conclusionthat, to the detriment of patients, the time from approval to SL inclusion increased between 2009and 2018.

【 授权许可】

CC BY