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Online workshop: Understanding access and reimbursement
17th May, 2022 at 11:00 am - 19th May, 2022 at 1:00 pm BST
Beacon is delighted to announce its next online workshop: Understanding access and reimbursement
Getting wider access to drugs for as many patients a possible is a clear priority in the drug development process, especially for patient groups who are working to secure research into and treatments for their rare conditions. However, understanding how to secure access to newly developed treatments is an often-neglected challenge. The processes involved in securing reimbursement can be intimidating to patient groups and act as a real barrier to engagement.
This workshop will outline the basics of access and reimbursement: what it means, when it happens, and who is involved. It will also explore the key ways in which patient groups can contribute to the process and what should they be prepared for. Attendees will leave feeling more confident in what the access and reimbursement process involves and where they can add value.
11am to 1pm, Tuesday 17th May 2022
Day one of our workshop will explore the basics of what access and reimbursement is and what this means practically for patients in the UK.
The session will answer the following questions:
- What does the language around access and reimbursement mean and what terms will be commonly used?
- Why does access and reimbursement happen and why is it important?
- When in the drug development process does access and reimbursement happen?
- Who is involved? What is the difference between NICE and the MHRA and what role does each organisation play?
- Why is it important for PAGS to understand how access and reimbursement works?
The session will also feature a presentation from speakers at the MHRA, as they outline their new Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) and what it means for patient involvement in access to health technologies.
11am to 1pm, Wednesday 18th May 2022
In the UK, for most patients to receive a treatment, it needs to be available from the NHS. This only happens if it is reimbursed – a decision taken in England by an organisation called NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). To make these decisions NICE use a process called a health technology appraisal (HTA). This is designed to assess the benefits of the treatment to patient’s health and quality of life versus the cost to the country of providing that treatment. Medicines with a high value for their cost will be reimbursed. The HTA process is long and can seem complicated to those unfamiliar with the way it works, the people involved, and the language used. However, it is essential for patients to understand this process, as they have a vital role to play in it by helping to provide evidence that is able to demonstrate the value of the new treatment to their population. In this way patient groups can ensure the best outcomes for their patient community.
The session will include speakers from NICE and will cover:
- The basics of the HTA process
- Why the HTA exists and what it is for
- The role of patient groups in the HTA process
- Opportunities for patient engagement throughout the whole process
- What happens during a committee meeting
- Q&A discussion panel
11am to 1pm, Thursday 19th May
There is room for patient and patient group involvement throughout the journey to access and reimbursement and it can make a real difference to the outcome of the process. There are ideal ways that patient groups can engage and frameworks that can be utilised to ensure the best results for patients.
The session will focus on:
- Where patient group involvement is most valuable and most suitable?
- The frameworks for engagement and the benefits and challenges of these
- The ways in which patient groups can collect evidence to ensure better outcomes
Session recordings will only be available to those who attended the event or provide reasonable notice that they cannot attend. Recordings will not be made publicly available.