2026/01/01 by David Aluga, Claire Gorry, Michael Barry +3
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Medicine · #Biomedical Ethics and Regulation #Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life #Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s0266462326103717
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/04/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/16
OBJECTIVES: Health technology management (HTM) involves systems designed to ensure the safe, effective, and cost-effective use of health technologies following reimbursement. This study examines the recommendations of Ireland's Health Service Executive-Drugs Group (HSE-DG), exploring the characteristics and patterns of positive or conditional positive recommendations and HTM-related requirements. METHODS: We reviewed the minutes of HSE-DG meetings between January 2018 and December 2023. Data on medicines reviewed during this period were extracted into Microsoft Excel and analyzed narratively. RESULTS: Over the study period, the HSE-DG reviewed 192 medicines (including new medicines and new indications for existing medicines), of which 157 received positive (115) or conditional positive recommendations (42). Of these, thirty-three were subject to HTM conditions, typically involving a managed access protocol or a specific reimbursement application process. Due to inconsistent reporting of key information, quantitative analysis was not feasible. However, common characteristics among HTM-linked recommendations emerged. These included submissions for reimbursement targeting a subset of the licensed population (45.5 percent vs. 5.6 percent in non-HTM cases), designation as orphan medicines (39.4 percent vs. 29.8 percent), and having both first-in-class and new chemical entity designations (75.8 percent vs. 47.6 percent). CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate an increasing trend toward positive/conditional positive reimbursement recommendations with HTM in the Irish setting, with an average of 21 percent of positive/conditional positive recommendations over the study period contingent on HTM. More granular and consistent reporting of key indicators would enable the determination of characteristics associated with reimbursement recommendations with HTM.