Norway Managed Entry Agreements:
What You Need to Know
Norway is a country that has been on the leading front of healthcare innovation, and Managed Entry Agreements (MEAs) are no exception. MEAs are agreements between a drug manufacturer and a healthcare provider that allows the drug to be accessed by patients before it gains full approval. These agreements give the healthcare providers more time to evaluate the drug’s effectiveness, possibly at a lower cost, before providing it for regular use.
Managed Entry Agreements have become an important part of the regulatory framework and decision-making process in Norway. Many countries across the world, such as the UK and Canada, have adopted these agreements as a tool to control the cost of new drugs and ensure access to new treatments.
In Norway, the Norwegian Medicines Agency and regional health authorities are responsible for negotiating MEAs with pharmaceutical companies. The primary objective of these agreements is to make sure that all patients in Norway have equal access to effective treatments, regardless of their location or financial status.
Norwegian healthcare providers use two types of Managed Entry Agreements – Patient Access Scheme (PAS) and Risk-sharing Agreement (RSA). The PAS agreement allows patients to access drugs that are not yet fully approved, while the RSA is a financial agreement between the drug manufacturer and the healthcare provider.
The Norwegian Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is responsible for assessing the cost-effectiveness of a drug before its approval. Once a drug has been approved, the HTA will evaluate the drug’s use and its impact on the healthcare system. The outcome of this evaluation will determine the payment price for the drug during its use under MEA.
Managed Entry Agreements have become a vital part of the Norwegian healthcare system because they ensure that patients have access to innovative treatments and drugs at an affordable price. These agreements have been instrumental in increasing the number of drugs that patients can access, thus improving the quality of healthcare in Norway.
In summary, Managed Entry Agreements are a critical tool that governments and healthcare providers use to control the cost of new drugs and ensure that patients have access to them. In Norway, these agreements have been successful because they prioritize patient’s access to the latest treatments, while ensuring that healthcare costs are not out of control. The use of MEAs has made it possible for patients to have access to innovative treatments at an affordable price, making it a win-win situation for all parties involved.