On 24-25 September 2020, the 2th National Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Forum in Ukraine took place, organized by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (MoH) with the support of the international technical assistance project “Safe, Affordable and Efficient Medicines” (SAFEMed) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Specialists of the State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (the Center), in particular the Department of Health Technology Assessment, took an active part in the forum program. Bringing together more than 120 participants representing government bodies – the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Health Insurance, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Center’s Department of Health Technology Assessment, the National Health Service of Ukraine, the State Enterprise “Medical Procurement of Ukraine,” the Public Health Center, the Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines, the State Service of Ukraine on Medicinal Products and Drugs Control, scientific institutions, industry, patients, and domestic and international organizations, the 2th National HTA Forum became the platform where stakeholders could hold strategic discussions and explore ways to further develop HTA based on existing achievements.
As part of the National HTA Forum, stakeholder panel discussions were held on the topics: "Establishing an independent HTA agency: improving the legislative framework" and "Transition to a positive list in Ukraine and ways of integrating HTA"; workshops on the topics: "HTA for technologies other than medicinal products", "HTA for overcoming financial and economic barriers to market access", "Communication and patient engagement", "Education/capacity building"; a report on international experience was presented based on the regional conference of Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) on the topic: "Integration of HTA into health care reforms in the new environment" (held on 8-11 September 2020 in Kyiv); presentations by the workshop moderators and a special panel session – a discussion on policy issues.
The Center's speakers – Tetiana Dumenko, Director of the Center, and Oresta Piniazhko, Director of the HTA Department of the Center, had the opportunity to speak at the 2th National Forum during panel discussions.
Oresta Piniazhko during panel discussion No. 1 on 24 September "Establishing an independent HTA agency: improving the legislative framework" gave a presentation on the stages of institutionalization of HTA in Ukraine and the areas of activity of the HTA Department, and presented a roadmap and achievements over 2019-2020 years, in particular new regulatory legal documents – the first draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine that will define the procedure for applying HTA in Ukraine, expert and methodological developments on the HTA process for providing recommendations for decision-making, as well as plans and next steps for the development of HTA in Ukraine. Oresta Piniazhko also moderated panel discussion No. 2 "Transition to a positive list in Ukraine and ways of integrating HTA", which became a platform for discussing the possibilities of involving HTA processes in the transition to a positive list in Ukraine.
Tetiana Dumenko took part in a panel discussion on policy issues on 25 September, together with Ihor Ivashchenko, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine for European Integration, Lada Bulakh, Chair of the Subcommittee on Epidemic Safety, Combating HIV/AIDS and Socially Dangerous Diseases of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on the Health of the Nation, Medical Care and Medical Insurance, Arsen Zhumadilov, Director General of the State Enterprise "Medical Procurement of Ukraine", Ihor Kuzin, Acting Director of the Public Health Center, and Yevheniia Melnyk, Deputy Head of the Department for Interaction with External Experts of the National Health Service of Ukraine, and Rabiia Kakhvedzhi, Senior Technical Advisor on Pharmaceutical Policies and Governance, USAID SAFEMed project.
Tetiana Dumenko outlined the issue of involving HTA experts in the processes of overcoming the COVID-19 epidemic, stated the conditions necessary for establishing an independent HTA agency, and emphasized that HTA should take place under a clear procedure and with participants having the appropriate competencies, and that this requires an appropriate regulatory framework, that is, the creation of a clear decision-making procedure and points of application of the HTA tool for decision-making in the system of providing the population with medicinal products and medical devices, as well as a clear distribution of functions in Ukraine.
Thus, the 2th National HTA Forum was remembered for lively, fruitful, and constructive discussions, as well as well-founded proposals that will be taken into account when updating the roadmap for the implementation of HTA in Ukraine.
