ONCOLOGISTS` VIEWS ON REIMBURSEMENT AND VALUE OF CANCER DRUGS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Author(s)
Catic T1, Pasic A2, Eminagic D2
1ISPOR Bosnia and Herzegovina Chapter, Sarajevo, Bosnia, 2University Clinical Center Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
OBJECTIVES: Health insurance funds (HIF) expenditure on cancer drugs increasing in last five years in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH). Access to novel therapeutics is delayed due to scarce resources and access to the patients is limited. Since oncologists are on the front line between payers and patients we examined their attitudes on reimbursement and value of cancer drugs in BH. METHODS: Self-reporting survey among oncologists in BH has been conducted during annual oncologists` meeting in December 2015. Questions covered areas on access and value of cancer drugs, as well as their attitudes in choosing and recommending therapy to the patients. Five-level Likert scale has been used in response analysis. RESULTS: Survey has been completed by 47 of 50 oncologists. Female represent 62% of sample and 62% are younger than 35 years. Sample consists of 32% medical oncologists, 11% radiation oncologists and 57% fellowships. Working experience up to 10 years had 77%. Majority (89%) strongly or somewhat agree that new cancer drugs should receive a higher priority versus treatments for other disease. 96% think that cost-effectiveness data to support reimbursement decisions should be encouraged. They also prefer cancer drugs that provide substantial survival gains versus improvements in patients’ quality of life (83% vs 62%). Reimbursement status strongly influences choice of cancer treatment. Majority of respondents consider reasonable value for money (44%) amount of 1 per capita GDP (3.500€), and same percentage of 22% consider this as 2-3 GDPs (7.200-10.750€). Body that recommend reimbursement should be professional physician associations (34%), independent academic institution (27%) and Ministry of Health (9%). 96% of oncologists think that more research on comparative analysis of cancer drugs is needed. CONCLUSIONS: Oncologists in Bosnia-Herzegovina are aware of cancer drugs cost. Reimbursement status influences their decisions. Even novel cancer treatment should be reimbursed oncologists gave very low value for money weight.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2016-10, ISPOR Europe 2016, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Vol. 19, No. 7 (November 2016)
Code
PCN188
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
Oncology