Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: To conduct a quantitative analysis of patient organisation submissions in reimbursement applications considered by the HSE Drugs Group 2023 to 2026 and examine trends in submission frequency, therapeutic area distribution, and their association with final reimbursement recommendations.
METHODS: Medicines undergoing full Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Ireland between 2023 and 2026 were eligible for inclusion. Data were extracted from published Health Service Executive (HSE) Drugs Group (DG) minutes and public information from the HSE and National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) websites. Extracted variables included drug name and indication, submission type (rapid review versus full HTA), presence of a patient organisation submission, and final HSE reimbursement decision. No adjustment was made for potential confounding factors.
RESULTS: Between Q1 2023 and Q2 2026, 176 applications were reviewed by the HSE DG, of which 108 (61.4%) underwent full HTA. Patient organisation submissions were present in 42 (38.9%) of HTAs, with higher representation in non-oncology indications (23/48; 47.9%) than in oncology (19/60; 31.7%). Overall, 28 of 42 (66.7%) HTAs with a patient organisation submission were reimbursed compared with 47 of 66 (71.2%) without. In oncology, reimbursement occurred in 13 of 19 (68.4%) submissions with patient organisation submission versus 32 of 41 (78.0%) without, whereas in non-oncology indications, reimbursement was observed in 15 of 23 (65.2%) submissions with patient organisation submission and 15 of 25 (60.0%) without.
CONCLUSIONS: Patient organisation submission rates in Ireland remain low at 38.9%, with higher rates observed in non-oncology indications. Notably, fewer patient organisation submissions were associated with reimbursed medicines compared to non-reimbursed. While confounding factors preclude definitive conclusions, these findings highlight the need for further research to determine whether a meaningful correlation exists between patient organisation submissions and reimbursement outcomes.