Poland to Expand Innovative Drug Reimbursement

Reform measures currently under consideration by the Polish cabinet could expand reimbursement of innovative drugs. However, the government is likely to proceed cautiously, as it believes the move could encourage over-prescribing and lead to spiralling costs for the National Health Fund, the NFZ.

Government ministers justify their decision to create a restricted list of "specialist use drugs" on the basis that this would be in line with existing European Union (EU) directives. Nevertheless, doctors' groups have opposed plans to restrict expensive branded imports added to the list to a few thousand patients. The list of innovative reimbursable drugs is also likely to be updated every three months at the health ministry's discretion, and medical professionals will be barred from prescribing outside their field of expertise.

Despite these limitations, the multinational sector is likely to welcome the addition of any patented, hi-tech medicines to the generics-dominated national drugs list. Local group the Association of Pharmaceutical Companies Representatives has regularly called for such a move, following the removal of many innovative imports from the reimbursement list in recent years. Foreign drugmakers are also likely to welcome any changes to wider reimbursement policy, as Poland's patient co-payments for drugs are among the highest in the EU, at some 55% of cost.