18-06-2024

Nearly 40 new medicines become available for reimbursement to patients from early 2023

Iliustracija

Every year, dozens of new medicines are added to the lists of reimbursable medicines, helping to ensure that Lithuanian patients receive effective and modern treatment. The faster inclusion of new medicines in the reimbursement system is made possible by significantly faster evaluation of new medicines and more rational use of the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF).

“The list of reimbursable medicines is continuously updated to ensure that new medicines with additional therapeutic benefits for the health of patients become available to the Lithuanian population as soon as possible. Last year, the number of recommendations made on applications to include new medicinal products in the lists of reimbursable medicines more than doubled, thanks to the increased capacity to assess health technologies related to medicinal products. The new pricing mechanism for medicines helps to rationalise the use of the CHIF budget and to use the money saved to reimburse new medicines or to widen the range of patients eligible for reimbursement,” says Aurimas Pečkauskas, Vice Minister of Health.

In 2023, 22 medicines were added to the lists of reimbursable medicines for depression, multiple sclerosis, hereditary angioedema, breast, lung, liver and blood cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, narcolepsy, infertility and spinal muscular atrophy.

This year, 19 new medicines have already been reimbursed to patients to treat ankylosing spondylitis, heart failure, ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal, prostate, lung, blood, breast, head and neck cancers, chronic fibrotic lung and kidney diseases, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, chronic viral hepatitis C infection.

Also at its meeting on 6 June 2024, the Commission for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices adopted a decision on the transfer of medicinal products included in the Reserve List of Medicinal Products to the List of Diseases and Reimbursable Medicinal Products for their Treatment (List A). The Commission decided to propose to the Minister to reimburse 4 medicinal products for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, acute myeloid leukaemia, prostate cancer and locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma as from 1 August. Medicines will only start to be reimbursed once applicants have signed treatment access and risk-sharing agreements with the National Health Insurance Fund.

The State Medicines Control Authority has evaluated 25 applications for inclusion of medicinal products in the lists of reimbursable medicinal products in 2022. With a larger team of assessors focused on this process, the number of applications assessed in 2023 has increased to 65.
1.24 million people use reimbursed medicines. Around 40% of the Lithuanian population receives full reimbursement, primarily for the most vulnerable patient groups, who bear a high financial burden when purchasing reimbursed medicines. There is also a “patient premium basket” as a means of reducing the cost of medicines, which ensures that the amount of premiums per patient per year does not exceed the average of three annual premiums for reimbursed medicines with the lowest premium, based on the previous calendar year. This year, this amount is EUR 48.33.

The measures implemented to reduce patient premiums are effective, as shown by the reduction in patient costs. In 2017, the average premium for a reimbursable prescription was EUR 5 and in 2023 -  EUR 3.17. In total, patients spent EUR 54.2 million on premiums in 2017 and EUR 19.8 million in 2023. This means that patients have saved EUR 34 million over five years.   

The CHIF budget for reimbursement of medicines and MAs has almost doubled between 2018 and 2023, from EUR 250 million to EUR 491 million. This year, the CHIF budget includes EUR 509 million for the reimbursement of medicines and MAs.   

Ministry of Health Communications Division

The NHIF invites you:

Last updated: 11-07-2024

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