High Insurance Coverage and Financial Support for Effective Cancer Drugs in I.R. Iran
Background: In recent years, financial coverage and availability of new and expensive cancer drugs have changed into one of the challenges of the health system, especially in low-income and middle-income countries,. We studied the availability ofanticancer drugs, insurance coverage and the financial...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
2018-07-01
|
| Series: | Basic & Clinical Cancer Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://bccr.tums.ac.ir/index.php/bccrj/article/view/276 |
| _version_ | 1818891581246144512 |
|---|---|
| author | Alireza Darrudi Rajabali Daroudi |
| author_facet | Alireza Darrudi Rajabali Daroudi |
| author_sort | Alireza Darrudi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: In recent years, financial coverage and availability of new and expensive cancer drugs have changed into one of the challenges of the health system, especially in low-income and middle-income countries,. We studied the availability ofanticancer drugs, insurance coverage and the financial burden of these drugs in Iran.
Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, first, we listed effective cancer drugs according to the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicinesand previous studies. Then, we evaluated financial burden of these drugs byusing the available data in Iran pharmaceutical Pharmacopoeia, the national pharmaceuticalsales statistics database (pharmaceutical Amarnameh), and inquiry of the
insurance organizations, the availability, insurance coverage in Iran. Excel softwarewas used for data analysis.
Results: All of the medicines incorporated into the latest version of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines were available in Iran, and, except for Bendamustine and Anastrazole all medicines were covered by insurance. In addition, of the 19 drugs,those were not on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, there were sevendrugs in Iran, insurance covered that six drugs. The total Dollar sales of the studied
cancer drugs amounted to US$350.85 million in 2015 and US$384.96 million in 2016.
Conclusion: It seems that the status of access to effective cancer drugs in Iran is better than many low and middle-income countries. However, since the cost of cancerdrugs is rising, health policy makers inevitably need to prioritize cancer drugs by using the results of health technology assessment methods and provide patients withaccess to drugs that are cost-effective in order to the optimal allocation of limited
resources and provide maximum access to cancer drugs throughout the country. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T17:43:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-146f0ff01fa9482a9082a979eed0a1c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2228-6527 2228-5466 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T17:43:05Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | Tehran University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Basic & Clinical Cancer Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-146f0ff01fa9482a9082a979eed0a1c02022-12-21T20:12:09ZengTehran University of Medical SciencesBasic & Clinical Cancer Research2228-65272228-54662018-07-01103High Insurance Coverage and Financial Support for Effective Cancer Drugs in I.R. IranAlireza Darrudi0Rajabali Daroudi1Master of Sciences Student in Health Economics, Health Management and Economics Department, Students Scientific Research Center, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranHealth Economics, Health Management and Economics Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranBackground: In recent years, financial coverage and availability of new and expensive cancer drugs have changed into one of the challenges of the health system, especially in low-income and middle-income countries,. We studied the availability ofanticancer drugs, insurance coverage and the financial burden of these drugs in Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, first, we listed effective cancer drugs according to the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicinesand previous studies. Then, we evaluated financial burden of these drugs byusing the available data in Iran pharmaceutical Pharmacopoeia, the national pharmaceuticalsales statistics database (pharmaceutical Amarnameh), and inquiry of the insurance organizations, the availability, insurance coverage in Iran. Excel softwarewas used for data analysis. Results: All of the medicines incorporated into the latest version of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines were available in Iran, and, except for Bendamustine and Anastrazole all medicines were covered by insurance. In addition, of the 19 drugs,those were not on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, there were sevendrugs in Iran, insurance covered that six drugs. The total Dollar sales of the studied cancer drugs amounted to US$350.85 million in 2015 and US$384.96 million in 2016. Conclusion: It seems that the status of access to effective cancer drugs in Iran is better than many low and middle-income countries. However, since the cost of cancerdrugs is rising, health policy makers inevitably need to prioritize cancer drugs by using the results of health technology assessment methods and provide patients withaccess to drugs that are cost-effective in order to the optimal allocation of limited resources and provide maximum access to cancer drugs throughout the country.https://bccr.tums.ac.ir/index.php/bccrj/article/view/276Accessibilityinsurance coveragefinancial burdencancer drugs |
| spellingShingle | Alireza Darrudi Rajabali Daroudi High Insurance Coverage and Financial Support for Effective Cancer Drugs in I.R. Iran Basic & Clinical Cancer Research Accessibility insurance coverage financial burden cancer drugs |
| title | High Insurance Coverage and Financial Support for Effective Cancer Drugs in I.R. Iran |
| title_full | High Insurance Coverage and Financial Support for Effective Cancer Drugs in I.R. Iran |
| title_fullStr | High Insurance Coverage and Financial Support for Effective Cancer Drugs in I.R. Iran |
| title_full_unstemmed | High Insurance Coverage and Financial Support for Effective Cancer Drugs in I.R. Iran |
| title_short | High Insurance Coverage and Financial Support for Effective Cancer Drugs in I.R. Iran |
| title_sort | high insurance coverage and financial support for effective cancer drugs in i r iran |
| topic | Accessibility insurance coverage financial burden cancer drugs |
| url | https://bccr.tums.ac.ir/index.php/bccrj/article/view/276 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alirezadarrudi highinsurancecoverageandfinancialsupportforeffectivecancerdrugsiniriran AT rajabalidaroudi highinsurancecoverageandfinancialsupportforeffectivecancerdrugsiniriran |