Belgium's National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance, INAMI, is to lead a new consortium of health technology assessment agencies from European Union Member States, the institute announced in a statement on Friday.
Currently, after a new medication is approved in the EU, each Member State determines the extent to which patients can be reimbursed for it, based on the medical and therapeutic value of the drug.
Since this year, a new legal framework permits this evaluation to be conducted on a European scale. INAMI will head the consortium tasked by the European Commission to implement this joint effort.
The Institute will ensure accurate execution of all evaluations, equitable distribution of workloads, and adherence to European regulations. The resulting reports will help Member States in deciding on reimbursement or the pricing of medication.
INAMI's new role reaffirms Belgium’s “leadership role in European and international collaboration on health policies, particularly in the field of medicines,” says Pedro Facon, Deputy Director General of INAMI.
This collaboration, funded by the European Commission, is aimed at providing equal access to the most innovative medication for patients in smaller Member States.
