Brussels, 14/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - In a policy orientation document published on Wednesday 14 October, sickness insurance bodies said that pharmaceutical innovation should first and foremost benefit patients whilst contributing to sustainability and universal healthcare.
Given that prices of new medicines have spiralled, the European Social Insurance Platform (ESIP) and the International Association of Mutuals and Health Insurance Funds (AIM) are sounding the alarm and have formulated recommendations to improve the policies and mechanisms related to innovative medicines. AIM Director, Menno Aarnout, emphasised: “To ensure, also in the long term, access to pharmaceuticals for all those in need, we have to make sure that we focus our R&D on areas of public health priorities”. Chris Dawson, the director of ESIP, said: “We believe that reimbursing products which do not provide measurable benefits to the patient's is unfair”. The two associations are subsequently highlighting the need to improve the mechanisms responsible for managing prices and reimbursements for medicines. (Original version in French by Isabelle Lamberty)