The European challenges of funding orphan medicinal products.

Background: Funding of orphan medicinal products (OMPs) is an increasing challenge in the European Union (EU).

Objectives: To identify the different methods for public funding of OMPs in order to map the availability for rare disease patients, as well as to compare the public expenditures on OMPs in 8 EU member states.

Methods: Information on the reimbursement status of 83 OMPs was collected in 8 countries by distinguishing standard and special reimbursements.

HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT IN EVALUATION OF PHARMACEUTICALS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC.

Objectives: In the Czech Republic, the health technology assessment (HTA) approaches have been implemented in evaluation of medicinal products since 2008. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the implementation of HTA and different levels thereof in the evaluation process conducted by the State Institute for Drug Control (SUKL) and to describe the impact of HTA on the entrance of new medicinal entities into out-patient healthcare system including highly innovative and orphan drugs.

Methods: Materials supporting this overview were collected using the records in the database of administrative proceedings of SUKL, in-house standard operating procedures, and the legislation in force.

The impact of changes in national prescribing conditions for statins on their public expenditure and utilization in the Czech Republic 1997-2013.

Objectives: In the Czech Republic (CZ) extensive price regulation and prescribing conditions are common instruments often employed with new drugs. Since the introduction of statins onto the market in 1990s the originally strict conditions gradually relaxed while the prescription rates and public costs were rising. The aim was to analyze long-term utilization trends of statins, changes in their reimbursement prices and prescribing conditions, and the evolution of the market.

Medical and Productivity Costs of Rheumatoid Arthritis in The Czech Republic: Cost-of-Illness Study Based on Disease Severity.

Objective: International pharmacoeconomic studies suggest that functional impairment can be a significant predictor for the evaluation of direct and productivity costs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We calculated the direct and productivity costs for five Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) groups of patients (HAQ scores <0.6, 0.

The economic burden of the ankylosing spondylitis in the Czech Republic: comparison between 2005 and 2008.

To investigate the burden of ankylosing spondylitis in the Czech Republic as a baseline for future health economic evaluations. Data were obtained from two cross-sectional studies Beda I (2005) and Beda II (2008), performed in 1,008 and 509 patients, respectively. Methodology used was Cost-of-Illness prevalence-based analysis bottom-up approach.