“Value-Based Pricing and Reimbursement Systems” discussed at the AIFD Innovative Medicines Symposium
03.12.2024
The 2nd Innovative Medicines Symposium was held by AIFD on November 27th at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital. This year, the symposium featured a multidimensional discussion on “Value-Based Pricing and Reimbursement Systems” with participation from health sector stakeholders, especially public representatives.
AIFD, working with the aim to ensure Turkish citizens’ access to innovative medicines and treatments and to contribute to the discovery of effective solutions to health problems in Türkiye, organized the 2nd Innovative Medicines Symposium. This year’s symposium, which saw broad participation from public representatives, international scientists, academia, and the health sector, focused on the theme “Unlocking Value Potential: Developing the Pharmaceutical Industry for Better Health Outcomes in Türkiye“. Discussions centered on developments and proposed solutions, emphasizing the need to view health as an investment in societal welfare and economic growth. Keynote speaker, Prof. Dr. Dennis A. Ostwald, renowned for his macroeconomic analyses and contributions to prestigious platforms such as the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Summit, and the European Parliament, shared valuable insights.
Investing in health is investing in the future
The opening speech of the event was delivered by Şehram Zayer, Vice Chairperson of AIFD Board. Highlighting that health is the foundation of sustainable development for societies and an integral part of human dignity for individuals, Şehram Zayer stated: “The concept of ‘value’ in healthcare has gained significant importance in pricing and reimbursement policies for healthcare services worldwide. It has also introduced a new dimension to the pharmaceutical field, which constitutes a substantial share of healthcare expenditures. As value-based healthcare systems evolve, all stakeholders, including patients, healthcare payers, providers, and pharmaceutical and equipment suppliers, stand to benefit, ensuring the economic sustainability of healthcare systems. In this era of accelerating digitalization and artificial intelligence, pharmaceutical innovation is offering us all a healthier future. Our sole wish during this transformative period is for our country’s citizens to have access to innovative medicines the way they deserve. In this regard, steps should be taken immediately to explore alternative financing options for access to innovative medicines and to implement value-based reimbursement methods that evaluate medicines and health technologies based on their actual effectiveness and potential benefits. These systems will not only improve the health and well-being of individuals but also enhance the overall health and prosperity of society. This will reinforce the understanding that investments in health are truly investments in the future.”
The pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to develop new treatment methods will shape the healthcare systems of the future
Another opening speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Burak Civelek, Deputy Chief Physician Coordinator at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, who stated: “As public administrators, our priority is to ensure that investments in this field are planned not only to secure today but also to safeguard the future. Innovation is one of the most critical keys to success in this area, and the pharmaceutical industry is one of its most important drivers. Advances in the treatment of many chronic diseases, the development of improved vaccines, and personalized treatment methods are all the result of the pharmaceutical industry’s innovative approach. In this context, the industry’s contributions extend beyond the health of individual patients to the long-term welfare of societies. The pharmaceutical sector’s efforts to develop and make new treatment methods accessible not only address today’s challenges but also shape the healthcare systems of the future. We are deeply honored to be part of such an important event and to host the esteemed representatives of our industry at our hospital. I sincerely believe that this symposium will provide a valuable roadmap for achieving better outcomes for patients in our country.”
Value-based pricing and reimbursement systems should be evaluated based on the contributions they provide to society
In his opening speech at the event, Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK) President Dr. Asım Hocaoğlu stated: “The concept of value, which we define as the level of benefit and satisfaction a product or service provides to users, inherently encompasses innovation and is therefore also regarded as an indicator of technological advancement. Value-based pricing and reimbursement systems should evaluate medicines not only through daily effectiveness and safety parameters but also through their contributions to patients, society, and institutions. For regulators like us, adopting this perspective carries particular importance. I believe this symposium, held under the theme of ‘Unlocking Value Potential,’ will lead to valuable recommendations, especially in areas such as early-phase clinical research, early interaction programs for humanitarian medicine use, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of treatments, the use of digital data, and health technology assessment. Furthermore, I am confident it will guide us in achieving our goal of establishing a transparent and efficient regulatory framework aligned with international standards.”
Investing in preventive and protective healthcare services will facilitate the transition to a value-based approach
In his speech, Kutluhan Taşkın, Deputy Chairperson of the Presidency of Strategy and Budget, stated: “In traditional approaches, the emphasis on price and quantity in healthcare means that value and benefit are not measured adequately. In a value-based healthcare approach, it is critical to measure how the final user and service providers create and deliver value, analyzing the cost incurred and the value of the services received. A value-based approach goes beyond different cost models to focus on measuring human health and the satisfaction individuals derive from healthcare services. It also involves assessing the budget allocated for this purpose and how it generates added value. In today’s development plans, where the focus on green and digital transformations has increased, personal data in healthcare provides an infrastructure for this value-based approach. We expect this approach to spread not only globally but also in Türkiye. We find it valuable to create opportunities regarding medicines used in the treatment of rare diseases, which are listed abroad, and to develop value-based approaches in this area to adapt alternative reimbursement systems. Our role as the public sector is to increase the effectiveness in ensuring that resources are allocated to the right areas and used efficiently. Investing more in preventive and protective healthcare services from early on and transferring the savings generated to value-based innovative medicine systems will facilitate the faster spread of both innovative medicines and value-based healthcare systems in society.”
Investment in healthcare should be made to reduce inflation
Keynote speaker of the symposium, Prof. Dr. Dennis A. Ostwald, Founder and CEO of WifOR Institute, stated the following during his session titled ‘Shaping the Future: Emerging Trends and Opportunities in Value-Based Medicine Systems’: “Health investments in Türkiye have the potential to secure the country’s future prosperity. As an example, Türkiye invests only 4.4% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in healthcare. When compared to G20 countries, this is the lowest ratio. This means there is a huge potential opportunity for investment. Health investments create growth, affect employment and trade balance, and most importantly, contribute to fighting inflation due to increased productivity. If you want to reduce inflation, you need to increase productivity within a country. Investment in healthcare means healthier people. Healthier people are more productive, and more productive people create more growth. More growth, in turn, provides more fiscal space. We need to measure the economic footprint of healthcare investments, their impact on human capacity, and understand what human capital and productivity mean. Investing in health means fighting the major disease areas and socio-economic burdens that affect society in Türkiye and other countries.”
As part of the event, distinguished speakers were hosted in panels titled “Value-Based Pricing and Reimbursement: Challenges and Opportunities in the Turkish Pharmaceutical Sector,” “Shaping the Future: Emerging Trends and Opportunities in Value-Based Medicine Systems,” “Patient Perspectives in Value-Based Systems,” and “Role of Digital Health Technologies and Data in Value-Based Systems.”
The panel titled “Value-Based Pricing and Reimbursement: Challenges and Opportunities in the Turkish Pharmaceutical Sector” was moderated by Prof. Dr. Haluk Özsarı, faculty member at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Health Sciences and President of DETESADER (Value-Based Health Association). The talk on “A Global Perspective on Value-Based Systems” was given by Prof. Dr. Lieven Annemans, faculty member at Ghent University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, while “Examples of Value Measurement Methods” was presented by Rabia Sucu, President of Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi). “The Current Situation in Türkiye” was discussed by Prof. Dr. Sabahattin Aydın, former Deputy Minister of Health and faculty member at Istanbul Medipol University, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eren Usul, General Director of General Health Insurance.
The session on “Patient Perspectives in Value-Based Systems” was moderated by Dr. Elif Hilal Vural, faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine at Lokman Hekim University School of Medicine, specializing in Medical Pharmacology. The talk on “Understanding Patient Value Perceptions” was delivered by Özlem Ceylan, President of Living with Allergy Association and Chair of the EAACI (European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology) Patient Organizations Committee. The presentation on “Incorporating Patients into Value-Based Pricing and Reimbursement Decisions” was given by Ingrid Klingmann, Chairperson of the European Forum for Good Clinical Practice (EFGCP) and Chief Trainer at EUPATI (European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation). Serra Bozkurt, Founding Executive Director of PlusResearch Solutions, spoke about “Patient-Centered Outcomes and Measurement Tools.”
The final session, titled “The Role of Digital Health Technologies and Data in Value-Based Systems,” was moderated by Prof. Dr. Zafer Çalışkan, faculty member at Hacettepe University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and President of the Health Economics and Policy Association. During this session, Tolga Tuncer, General Manager of One Dose Health, made a presentation on “The Role of Digital Health Technologies in Value-Based Medicine Systems.” Ömer Saka, Manager at Roland Berger Life Sciences and Health Care, discussed “The Transformative Role of Patient Data in Improving Health Services.” Dr. Çiçek Ersoy, faculty member at Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Business, Department of Industrial Engineering, Legal Studies Group, spoke about “The Legal Aspects and Privacy of Health Data: Regulations and Practices.” Dr. Berrak Bora Başara, Head of the Health Statistics Department, delivered a speech titled “Management and Sharing of Health Data: The Current Situation in Türkiye.”