Was It Worth Introducing Health Economic Evaluation of Innovative Drugs in the French Regulatory Setting? The Case of New Hepatitis C Drugs

Objective

This paper constitutes the first attempt to draw lessons from the recent uptake of health economic evaluation of innovative drugs in the French regulatory framework.

美国“互联网+医疗”服务的定价支付策略及对我国的启示

通过研究美国在远程医疗方面的相关经验,为制定我国“互联网+医疗”服务相关政策提供参考和借鉴。梳理美国远程医疗的发展历史及管理现状,分析并总结美国远程医疗的定价机制和支付情况。美国远程医疗的定价采用相对价值比率模型,并制定支付条件,保障了远程医疗定价及支付的合理性。参考美国的经验,提出了加强对“互联网+医疗”服务的规范管理、建立定价机制以及明确支付条件等建议。     

Risk sharing in managed entry agreements—A review of the Swedish experience

BackgroundIn 2014 managed entry agreements (MEA) between Swedish health care payers (county councils), the reimbursement authority (the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV)) and pharmaceutical companies were introduced to facilitate early and equal access to treatments. MEAs complement the value-based pricing system for out-patient drugs and enables stake-holders to negotiate risk-sharing agreements.AimThe aim of the study was to review existing agreements, describe the type of uncertainty dealt with, and to analyze incentives created using the literature on performance-based reimbursement schemes in Sweden.MethodA document review of all agreements made in the period January 2015 to August 2019 was conducted, classifying agreements by the type of uncertainty dealt with.ResultsAgreements were made for 56 products during the studied time period (45 ongoing), mainly in the fields of hepatitis C (n = 10) and oncology (n = 14). Uncertainties addressed in ongoing agreements included size of treated population (10), treatment duration (13), and effectiveness (9). The mechanism for risk-sharing was limited to refunds based on patient numbers, duration or just flat-rate refunds. The estimated refund in 2018 was 50 % of total sales.DiscussionThis review show that the main driver behind risk sharing in Sweden so far have seem to be affordability rather than managing uncertainty.     

The effects of preoperative chronic opioid use in total hip arthroplasty

BackgroundPerioperative opioid use is becoming an increasingly concerning topic in total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The current study aims to add to the paucity of prior studies that have detailed perioperative opioid use patterns and the effects of preoperative chronic opioid use among a cohort of total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 256 consecutive patients who underwent a THA at our institution between February 2016 and June 2016 was performed. Two cohorts were compared: patients deemed 1) preoperative chronic opioid users, and 2) non-chronic users. Variables compared included baseline characteristics, quality metrics, and patients’ opioid use histories 3 months prior to surgery and 6 months following surgery.ResultsOf the 256 patients, 54 (21.1%) patients were identified as preoperative chronic opioid users. Baseline characteristics including age, gender, BMI, and ASA scores were similar between both cohorts. Discharge disposition, value-based purchasing (VBP) costs, length of stay (LOS), emergency room visits, and postoperative office visits were similar between the two cohorts. Readmission rates (30-day, 90-day, and 6-month) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the chronic opioid users cohort. By the 6-month postoperative time period, chronic opioid users were consuming approximately 100-times the morphine equivalents than non-chronic users.ConclusionsThe current study demonstrates that a substantial proportion of preoperative chronic opioid users continue to consume large amounts of opioids up to 6-months following THA surgery. Furthermore, preoperative chronic use is significantly associated with poorer quality outcomes, specifically with respect to readmission rates.Level of evidenceLevel II, Prognostic Study.