How do we collectively ensure sustainability of our great healthcare system, where our patients get the best care and medicines when they need them most?
Norway has a great healthcare system when I compare it to other countries. I come from India, where healthcare is still largely for the rich.
Norway has a very ambitious political agenda to provide the best healthcare for its people. For medicines, the ambition emphasizes speed and faster access to new medicines. However, in the implementation of this vision, the decisions that are being made today by budget holders are not delivering on the political ambitions.
In 2018, over 50% of new medicines got a no from Beslutningsforum. Cost, or budget impact, is the main driver of decisions. Medicines that have proven cost effective by the Norwegian medicines agency are still getting a no. Decision criteria are unpredictable, and often decisions are made on subjective criteria. In reality, the impact of all of this is that Norwegian patients do not have access to as many new and cutting-edge medicines as their neighbors in the Nordics and Europe. Norwegian patients are being given sub-optimal medicines, in some cases, due to economic reasons, and Norway has one of the highest times to market for new medicines, per the latest EFPIA report.
My question for Stortinget is: Do we want Norway to continue to lead as a healthcare system, or are we okay being one of the slowest markets in Europe to give access to new products?
If we look at Germany as an example – patients come first. Patients have access to medicines right after regulatory approval, then the government negotiates with companies on price. And the Germans still manage to negotiate very well. They make it work – so can we!
Patient voice is being lost in Norway. I acknowledge that budget holders have good intentions and a tough job trying to balance patient needs and costs. My ask of parliament is – let’s solve this disconnect between political ambition and budget holders/decision makers so their decisions actually implement the political ambition we have.
In the best healthcare systems that I’ve seen in the world, there is a partnership mindset between the government and industry. I would encourage us to do the same.