DIPA issued an announcement regarding the drug system, which needs improvements.
This announcement:
DIPA-Collaboration finds that despite the efforts made by the authorities, there is a serious problem in the inclusion of new innovative drugs in the GESY as a huge volume of drugs is identified that is still under evaluation at the Health Insurance Organization. The problem is mainly focused on the integration procedures, which are time-consuming, but also on the treatment protocols.
Although patients have access to many medicines through GESY, we find that the system needs significant improvements to be able to serve the patients who need new innovative, specialized and more effective treatments.
We understand that the approval of medicines at the European level and their inclusion in the international guidelines is an insurance policy to ensure the implementation of protocols in Cyprus that are consistent with these guidelines. Unfortunately, however, we notice, we receive information and complaints that the protocols issued are not in line with the European guidelines and significant delays in evaluations are also observed.
The purpose of DIPA-Collaboration's intervention is to help and contribute in a way and actions towards taking initiatives to solve the issue so that the medicines serve the needs of the patients when they need them, the doctor has the choice per at any time, in treatments and not to reduce his options mainly based on cost.
As DIPA-Collaboration we will seek to put the procedures on a solid foundation so that everything provided for by legislation and European directives is done.
We therefore recommend:
The Medicines Advisory Committee to become an independent institution.
To institutionalize the more active participation of local scientific / medical societies in the creation of therapeutic protocols,
To upgrade the role of official patient bodies, with more active participation in the procedures,
To set clear and strict timetables for completion of the evaluation by the competent committees. Maximum time should be 90 days, as provided by the legislation, for evaluation of any request for inclusion of drugs in the system.
To set up the Medicines Review Board as also provided for in the relevant legislation.
