Summer School

Online four-day training course in pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies, located at Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG/Austrian National Public Health Institute) in Vienna is pleased to offer the third online Summer School on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies.

Addressing a global audience of policy-makers and technical experts in public authorities who work on pricing and reimbursement of medicines, this Summer School offers opportunities to gain insight into up-to-date evidence and policy experience, to discuss practical examples and to interact with experts and peers confronted with similar challenges in promoting Universal Health Coverage and access to medicines. The Summer School also addresses technical experts in public authorities who have not yet worked on pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.

Learning objectives

• Understand basic concepts, frameworks and taxonomies such as Universal Health Coverage, access to essential medicines, transparency and the pharmaceutical value chain
• Learn about the aims and implications of different pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies
• Learn to understand the differences in the methodological design of a policy 
• Be provided with a toolbox of policies and gain capacity to adapt policies to changing environments
• Get to know up-to-date scientific evidence and learn from experiences of other countries

Who should attend?

Program and speakers

Mix of learnings tools

Requirements and commitments 

Application

Fees and cancellation policy

About the organisers

Between Monday, 29 August and Friday, 02 September 2016 33 participants of public and non-for profit institutions working in the field of pricing and reimbursement of medicines of 18 different countries attended the first Summer School on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies in Vienna.

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies at the Austrian Public Health Institute (Gesundheit Österreich Gmbh) and the World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for Europe organised the five-day training course. Representatives of these organisations and of the EuroScan International Network provided information on pharmaceutical policies, focussed on pricing and reimbursement of medicines, medicine price surveys, policies for high-priced medicines and generics, Horizon Scanning, patents and trade agreements.

Focussing on the European region, the summer school provided lectures, hands-on training, case studies and poster sessions on the main topics. Furthermore study visits to relevant institutions in Vienna were offered.

On Wednesday 31 August a public panel discussion titled “Access to new high-priced medicines in Europe – Challenges and solutions” was organised, which received high interest by Austrian stakeholders. Panellists were Clemens Auer, Head of Section I in the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs (BMGF); Richard Bergström, General Director of European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA); Peter Beyer, World Health Organization (WHO); Yannis Natsis; European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) Policy Coordinator for universal access & affordable medicines; Josef Probst, General director of the Main Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions (HVB); and Dr Sabine Vogler, Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies at the Austrian Public Health Institute (GÖG).

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Between Monday, 28 August and Friday, 01 September 2017 29 participants of public and non-for profit institutions working in the field of pricing and reimbursement of medicines of 19 different countries attended the Second Summer School on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policiesin Vienna.

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies at the Austrian Public Health Institute (Gesundheit Österreich Gmbh) and the World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for Europe organised the five-day training course. Representatives the Medicines Patent Pool, LBI and of the organising institutions provided information on pharmaceutical policies, focussed on pricing and reimbursement of medicines, medicine price surveys, policies for high-priced medicines and generics, Horizon Scanning, HTA, patents and international collaboration.

The summer school provided lectures, hands-on training, case studies and poster sessions on the main topics. Furthermore study visits to relevant institutions in Vienna were offered.

On Wednesday 30 August 2017 a public panel discussion titled “Strengthening the purchasing power for medicines – possibilities and risks” was organised, which received high interest by Austrian stakeholders. Panellists were Clemens Auer, Austrian Federal Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs (BMGF); Esteban Burrone, Medicines Patent Pool, Switzerland; Christina Cepuch, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders); Jan Oliver Huber, Association of the Austrian Pharmaceutical Industry (Pharmig); Wolf-Dieter Ludwig, Chairman of the Drug Commission of the German Medical Association (DCGMA); Josef Probst, Main Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions (HVB); and Dr Sabine Vogler, Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies at the Austrian Public Health Institute (GÖG). The panel discussion was chaired by Hanne Bak Pedersen, WHO Regional Office for Europe.

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Between Monday, 23 July and Friday, 27 July 2018 38 participants of public and non-for profit institutions working in the field of pricing and reimbursement of medicines of 23 different countries attended the Third Summer School on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies in Vienna.

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies at the Austrian Public Health Institute (Gesundheit Österreich Gmbh) and the World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for Europe organised the five-day training course. Representatives of WHO Barcelona Office for Health System Strengthening and Headquarter, LBI, payers in other countries and of the organising institutions provided information on the role of (financing of) medicines in health systems and pharmaceutical policies with a focus on pricing and reimbursement of medicines, medicine price surveys, policies for high-priced medicines and generics, Horizon Scanning, HTA, patents and international collaboration.

The summer school provided lectures, hands-on training, case studies and poster sessions on the main topics. Furthermore study visits to relevant institutions in Vienna were offered. Course language was English.

On Wednesday 27 July 2018 a public panel discussion titled “Affordable access to medicines for everyone - a midsummer night's dream?” was organised, which received high interest by Austrian stakeholders. Tamás Evetovits (WHO Barcelona Office for Health System Strengthening) and Thomas Czypionka (IHS Institute for Advanced Studies) presented key results of a new WHO report “Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Europe and in Austria”. In the following panel discussion Hanne Bak Pedersen (WHO Regional Office for Europe), Gerhard Fortwengel (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover, Germany), Alexander Herzog (Secretary General of the Association of the Austrian pharmaceutical industry PHARMIG), Klaus Klaushofer (Hanusch Hospital of the Vienna Regional Health Insurance Fund) and Sabine Vogler (Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies in Vienna, Austria) discussed the current challenges in Austria and globally.

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Online five-day training course in pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies at the Austrian National Public Health Institute in Vienna offered the first Online Summer School on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies.

Addressing a global audience of policy-makers and technical experts in public authorities who work on pricing and reimbursement of medicines, the Summer School offered opportunities to gain insight into latest evidence and policy experience, to discuss practical examples and to interact with experts and peers confronted with similar challenges in promoting Universal Health Coverage and access to medicines.

38 participants of public and non-for-profit institutions working in the field of pricing and reimbursement of medicines from 19 countries worldwide attended the Summer School and turned the learning experience for all participants to an unforgettable experience.  

This online Summer School was in the tradition of the on-site Summer Schools that we have offered in recent years. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we organised the 2021 Summer School as a virtual event. Like the previous on-site Summer Schools, this online Summer School used a variety of mixed methods to make the course experience inspiring, informative and interactive.

See the impressions of the on-site Summer Schools in Vienna in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Learning objectives

• Understand the role of pharmaceutical policies to increase Universal Health Coverage and access to medicines 
• Learn about the aims and implications of different pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies and tools 
• Know how to design a medicines policy and understand the differences in the methodological design of a policy 
• Be provided with a toolbox of policies and skills to adopt the policy solutions
• Get to know the latest scientific evidence and learn from experiences of other countries

Mix of learnings tools

The Summer School used a variety of methods, including

• live online lectures
• an online library of pre-recorded inputs
• practical exercises in small groups
• online panel discussions with distinguished experts
• virtual study visits
• quizzes and learning games
• online poster presentations and 
• at request, consultancy sessions on real-world challenges of the participants.

Programme

About the organisers

Online five-day training course in pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies, located at Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG/Austrian National Public Health Institute) in Vienna is pleased to offer the second online Summer School on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies.

Addressing a global audience of policy-makers and technical experts in public authorities who work on pricing and reimbursement of medicines, this Summer School offers opportunities to gain insight into up-to-date evidence and policy experience, to discuss practical examples and to interact with experts and peers confronted with similar challenges in promoting Universal Health Coverage and access to medicines. The Summer School also addresses technical experts in public authorities who have not yet worked on pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.

This online Summer School is in the tradition of the on-site Summer Schools that we have offered in former years (2016, 2017 and 2018). Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we organised the 2021 Summer School as a successful virtual event and continue offering this format in 2022.

Learning objectives

• Understand basic concepts, frameworks and taxonomies such as Universal Health Coverage, access to essential medicines, transparency and the pharmaceutical value chain
• Learn about the aims and implications of different pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies
• Learn to prepare, implement and evaluate a medicines policy and understand the differences in the methodological design of a policy 
• Be provided with a toolbox of policies and gain capacity to adapt policies to changing environments
• Get to know up-to-date scientific evidence and learn from experiences of other countries

Who should attend?

Program and speakers

Mix of learnings tools

Requirements and commitments 

Application

Fees and cancellation policy

About the organisers

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Update (16 April 2020): 

We regret to announce that we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 WHO CC Summer School on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies which was scheduled to be held in Vienna at the end of July 2020.

We are very sorry for the postponement, but the decision was made with student and faculty safety in mind. Logistically, the week sees several speakers traveling from all over the globe to the summer school venue to deliver their topics, catering and accommodation need to be reliably available and the international attendees have to be able to reach Vienna. All of these aspects have become much less certain due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. 

We are exploring the possibility of organising the School in December ’20/January ’21 or July/August ’21. Any comments are welcome. We will keep you informed of our plans on this site and our newsletter (register here).

If you have already sent an application for this year, we can assure you that we will consider your application also in the postponed version of the summer school. We will be making further announcements about the postponed Summer School during summer 2020.

Contact: whocc@goeg.at

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Five-day training course in pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies at the Austrian Public Health Institute in Vienna together with the World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for Europe is offering for the fourth time a five-day training course for professionals of competent authorities and public institutions working in the field of pricing and reimbursement of medicines. International scientific experts and experienced national policy-makers will provide insights into pharmaceutical policies related to medicine pricing and reimbursement - at the time of launching new medicines, before or after the launch.

The summer school will provide lectures, hands-on training sessions, a panel discussion with distinguished experts, and case studies on implementation and optimisation of pharmaceutical policies. Study visits to relevant institutions in Austria will also be offered.

Impressions of the successful Summer Schools in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Who should attend?

The WHO CC summer school is targeted towards:

• Representatives of competent authorities in the field of pricing and reimbursement of medicines (policy makers, technical staff), and
• Payers in the health care system (e.g. health insurance institutions / sickness funds, ministries, medicines agencies, private health insurance institutions).

If justified by a strong motivation letter and supported by early registration, the organisers may also accept

• Researchers involved in policy-advice for public institutions,
• Not-for-profit stakeholders (e.g. consumer/patient organizations)

Participants from all over the globe are accepted: Given the location of the WHO Collaborating Centre and strong involvement in European networks, thematic input during the summer school will be provided to a major extent from the European perspective; however also aspects of pharmaceutical systems outside of Europe - e.g. Universal Health Coverage, Intellectual Property Rights etc. – will be covered.

Availability of places and deadlines

Limited number of places available: The Summer School accepts a maximum of 30 participants.

Deadline for application: 31 May 2020. Early application is highly recommended.

Programme

Application

Fees and cancellation policy

Practical information

About the organisers

Vienna Winter School for public authorities, 18-21 February 2025 – Implementing pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies, based at the Pharmacoeconomics Department of the Austrian National Public Health Institute, is pleased to offer an in-person Winter School on pharmaceutical and reimbursement policies in Vienna. Led by international experts, the Vienna Winter School provides four days of intensive training, interaction, and insights into pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies and solutions to address current challenges.

On-site course in pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies

The School offers a tailored programme to a global audience of policy-makers and technical experts working on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines in public authorities including payers in health care systems. Participants will meet on-site in Vienna for four days and enjoy a unique mix of learning, knowledge exchange, interaction, practice-based discussions, and networking. Due to the range of topics that the Winter School covers, it is suitable for experts in public authorities who have only recently started working on questions of pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement, as well as more experienced colleagues who would like to engage in in-depth discussions and exchanges on current policy challenges and potential solutions.

The Winter School will cover a breadth of topics including:

• Pricing policies along the pharmaceutical value chain.
• Sources of pricing data and the use of such data in pricing decisions.
• The politics and ethics of prioritising medicines for funding in public health care systems.
• Reimbursement policies and other options for coverage decision-making.
• A menu of policy solutions to tackle the challenges in pharmaceutical policy (e.g. access to high-priced medicines; medicines shortages).
• Public communication of policies and decisions.

Depending on the mix of applicants from high-, middle- and lower-income countries, we will tailor the programme to meet the needs of the participants.

Learning objectives

• To gain insight into current policy debates and evidence-based knowledge in pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.
• To understand the concepts, strategies, and effects of pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.
• To engage with the complexities of priority-setting in pharmaceutical policy.
• To gain an overview of the available tools to adapt policies to current and future challenges.
• To learn from the experiences of other countries. 

Q&As

Programme and speakers (will be announced in due course)

Flyer

Who should attend?

Format of the Winter School

Application process

Fees and cancellation policy