[40 years of medicines policy in the Netherlands: from financial constraints to medicines shortages?].

On a near daily basis, medicines make the news. Abstract topics such as international pricing policy or medicines patents, and concrete topics such as medicines shortages are regularly reported on. In this article, we summarise a 40-year-history of medicines policy in the Netherlands.

Productivity and quality of Dutch hospitals during system reform.

This study addresses the productivity of Dutch hospitals since the start of the health systems reform in 2005. We consider DEA based measures, which include efficiency and quality for the complete set of Dutch hospitals and present cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. In particular, we consider how hospital efficiency has developed.

Health economic evaluations in reimbursement decision making in the Netherlands: time to take it seriously?

Health technology assessment already informed Dutch policymaking in the early 1980s. Evidence of health economic evaluations is, however, only systematically used in drug reimbursement decision making. Outpatient drugs with an added therapeutic value and expensive specialist drugs require evidence from an economic evaluation.

Orphan drugs expenditure in the Netherlands in the period 2006-2012.

Background: The relatively low budget impact of orphan drugs is often used as an argument in reimbursement decisions. However, overall, the budget impact of orphan drugs can still be substantial. In this study, we assess the uptake and budget impact of orphan drugs in the Netherlands.

The Drug Reimbursement Decision-Making System in Iran.

Background: Previous studies of health policies in Iran have not focused exclusively on the drug reimbursement process.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the entire drug reimbursement process and the stakeholders, and discuss issues faced by policymakers.

Methods: Review of documents describing the administrative rules and directives of stakeholders, supplemented by published statistics and interviews with experts and policymakers.

Do reassessments reduce the uncertainty of decision making? Reviewing reimbursement reports and economic evaluations of three expensive drugs over time.

Objective: To investigate the desirability and feasibility of a cyclic reimbursement process to address uncertainty accompanying initial decision making.

Methods: We performed desk research for three expensive outpatient drugs: imatinib, pegfilgrastim, and adalimumab. We analysed the evidence base at the time of decision making (T=0) and May 2011 (T=1).

Practical feasibility of outcomes research in oncology: lessons learned in assessing drug use and cost-effectiveness in The Netherlands.

Objective: To investigate the practical feasibility to develop evidence on drug use and cost-effectiveness in oncology practice.

Patients And Methods: Feasibility was examined using three Dutch case studies. Each case study investigated the degree of appropriate drug use and its incremental cost-effectiveness.

[New drugs: money-back guarantee?].

When a new medical technology, for example a new drug, is introduced onto the market there should be a discussion of the balance between "uncertainty versus value to society and demand". The new technology is sometimes given the benefit of the doubt due to a lack of information. Follow-up investigation is actually essential but is seldom mandatory and hardly ever spontaneously initiated.

The economics of improved cancer survival rates: better outcomes, higher costs.

In 2006, over three million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Europe. This number will increase in the coming years as a result of an aging population and population growth. Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer have resulted in increased survival rates.

Inequalities in oncology care: Economic consequences of high cost drugs.

The expenditures for hospital drugs are continuously increasing, and grow much faster than the global hospital budgets do. This explosive growth is caused mainly by a few so-called 'expensive drugs' of which the oncolytics form the main part. The global budgets should stimulate more effective provision of care ('technical efficiency'), however the room for technical efficiency is decreasing.