Sasko: Drug Policy Reform Will Make Medicines More Available in Slovakia

Bratislava, 7 October (TASR) - Patients' access to treatment and the availability of medicines will improve in Slovakia following an amendment to the law on the scope and conditions for reimbursement of medicines, which was approved by Parliament on Tuesday (6 October), Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) told a press conference on Wednesday. The new legislation introduces several changes. Patients will now be entitled by law to so-called exception-based medicines, the rules governing the categorisation of medicines will be clear and transparent, new medicines should enter the Slovak market more quickly, and measures will also be introduced to reduce the illegal re-export of medicines. As regards exception-based medicines that aren't covered by public health insurance, the law sets clear rules on how patients can obtain such medicines, including obligations for health insurers. "Uniform criteria will now be set directly in the law, which will apply equally to all three insurance companies. And for every patient meeting these criteria, such medicine will simply have to be reimbursed by their insurance company," explained Sasko. If a health-insurance company rejects a patient's request for reimbursement, the legality of its decision will be reviewed by the Health-care Supervisory Office (UDZS). Furthermore, the financial limit on health-insurance companies for reimbursing exception-based medicines will also be abolished. New medicines should enter the system more quickly and based on patients' specific needs. "Above all, this concerns patients who are offered medicine for which there's no alternative on the market. There are many technical parameters involved in this, but this kind of medicine will not have to go through the lengthy categorisation process," said Sasko. The reform also introduces clear and transparent rules for approving medicines through the categorisation process and contains specific measures to ensure that generic and biosimilar medicines remain available on the Slovak market in the long term, while also introducing measures against illegal re-export. "Medicines intended for Slovak patients must first and foremost remain in Slovakia. No one can run a business on this, and only once a Slovak patient has been served can anyone feel free," said the minister. House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) also welcomed the approval of the amendment, describing it as a breakthrough in terms of the availability of medicines for patients. He thanked Sasko for his initiative and MPs for their support in approving the new legislation. Sasko added that the law will take effect on 1 November, with all key changes to apply as of January 2027 once the technical parameters have been fine-tuned. jrg/df