Call for abstracts

Strand 1: Local challenges, global learnings?
What can we learn from experiences, including good-practice examples, in the field of pharmaceutical pricing, procurement and reimbursement policies in other countries

Description: A variety of pharmaceutical policies in pricing, procurement and reimbursement is used by healthcare systems to improve equitable access to affordable and cost-effective medicines. While a toolbox of policies is available, the design of policy options may differ across countries since each country has its own approach to responding to current challenges, taking policy priorities (e.g. availability of essential medicines, affordability of high-priced therapies) and the specificities of the national health system settings into consideration.

Experiences from other countries can guide policy makers when they develop their own policy options. While national policies (as well as regional and local approaches) may not always be transferable, the findings on prerequisites, barriers and facilitators is of interest across borders. Thus, cross-border learning includes good-practice examples as well as less successful policy implementation; even high-income countries may benefit from experiences in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
In this strand, we are thus looking for studies on national and local policy implementation in pharmaceutical pricing, procurement and reimbursement (e.g., introducing pricing policies, coverage and co-payment policies such as national essential medicines lists and other benefit package schemes, pharmacy remuneration, tax policies, generic and biosimilar policies). We are particularly interested in assessments and evaluations that analysed the impact of the policy (e.g. on price and/or budget, improved affordability, higher availability). Success factors and supporting principles should be identified. Reports on policy implementation from LMICs are appreciated.

Strand 2: Strengthening the evidence base
How can we promote equitable access to affordable and cost-effective medicines by generating and sharing evidence? The role of managed entry agreements (MEAs), increased transparency, real-world data and health technology assessments.

Description: Decisions on how to price and whether or not to procure and/or publicly fund pharmaceutical therapies have increasingly become challenging because evidence of the value of some medicines, including awaited innovations, is limited for a number of reasons. For example, data on benefits may have not yet been generated, or buyers and payers do not have the full picture on input factors such as production costs, subsidies received by companies and (publicly funded) research and development costs as well as (net) prices paid and volumes in other countries. Several initiatives on a global, national or regional scale have been launched in recent years, including the World Health Assembly Resolution WHA 72.8 on “Improving the transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines, and other health products”, Regulation (EU) 2021/2282 on health technology assessment (HTAR)), projects to promote the use of real-world data, and further development of, and guidance and studies on, managed-entry agreements (MEA), particularly outcome-based MEAs.
In this strand, we are looking for submissions which address initiatives and policies to support more evidence-based decision making. Empirical findings relating to evaluations of these policies are highly welcome. Submissions which outline the content and quality of evidence needed and avenues to improve data generation and sharing are also appreciated (e.g. comparative clinical trials, adapting HTA processes for novel antibiotics, European Health Data Space). Opinion papers and abstracts on perspectives fall outside the scope of this strand.

Strand 3: Futureproofing pharmaceutical policies
How can innovation in policy making improve equitable access to affordable and cost-effective medicines? Fair pricing concepts, crisis preparedness, considering environmental aspects and increased patient involvement as well as coordination and collaboration are all drivers for the future.

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of health systems and supply chains and highlighted huge inequalities across the globe. The “silent pandemic” of antimicrobial resistance is growing, and shortages of basic medicines, such as for respiratory tract infections, have affected high-income countries in previously unknown dimensions. At the same time, for some medicines (e.g. gene and cell therapies) prices are being charged which would have been unbelievable a few years ago. The geopolitical situation and climate change are further challenges, that also have an impact on pharmaceutical systems. There have been calls for “thinking outside the box” for several years, and this is more urgent than ever before: the ongoing and increasing challenges to ensure access to affordable and cost-effective medicines require innovation in policy making. Innovative policy options include interface policies (bridging outpatient and inpatient sectors, targeting medicines and accompanying diagnostics), collaboration along the value chain (regulators and authorities downstream in the pharmaceutical value chain), multi-sectorial coordination (e.g. health and education to improve health literacy, health and the economy to encourage reshoring of the production, health and transport to bring medicines and services closer to patients) and country-country collaboration. Innovative pricing, procurement and reimbursement policies may go beyond cost, price and clinical benefit criteria and may consider environmental aspects, supply chain security and crisis preparedness.
In this strand, we are looking for submissions which identify, describe, measure and/or assess novel policies (e.g. horizon scanning, subscription-based models, joint negotiations and procurement) and novel elements in policies (e.g. transparency, new procurement procedures such as multi-winner bids and environmental award criteria, patient involvement). Evaluations presenting empirical findings are highly welcome; simulations and forward-looking proposals may also be considered in this strand.