What Factors Hindered the Access to Essential Anticancer Medicine in Public Hospitals for the Local Population in Hubei Province, China

A novel social-network-analysis-based approach for analyzing complex network of actors involved in accessibility of anti-cancer medications in Iran

BACKGROUND

The access to anti-cancer medications is influenced by policies formed via the convergence of various stakeholders. The aim of this study is to identify and analyse the stakeholders involved in formulating and implementing policies related to the accessibility of anti-cancer medications in Iran and their interactions that are relevant to the outcomes of these policies for the first time.

METHODS

To achieve the objectives, a novel multistage social network analysis (SNA)-based approach that includes three phases is proposed. First, the actors were identified by a team consisting of multidisciplinary knowledgeable experts through 15 comprehensive interviews. Then, the influence relationships of these actors were comprehensively analysed through in-depth interviews with nine key informants involved in pharmaceutical policies through a structured questionnaire. Finally, a novel network of actors was determined accordingly, and a SNA-based approach proposed to reveal the intrinsic roles and various aspects of the importance of the network's actors.

RESULTS

The study identified a total of 45 actors, which were then classified into 4 categories on the basis of their public or private nature and their foreign or domestic origin. This established network helped in creating a comprehensive view of the main actors, and can help policymakers to solve the problems related to access to anti-cancer medications more effectively and prevent the creation of these problems in the future. In this way, the network identified specific actors that can benefit from increased attention and dialogue. The computational results revealed that the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA), Pharmaceutical Importer Companies (PharIc) and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Companies (PharMC) were highly important actors in terms of their connectivity to other actors. Additionally, law enforcement agencies (LEA) have shown limited effectiveness within this network.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of complex relationships among various actors and proposes a novel SNA-based approach to analyse them. Regarding the main steps of the proposed approach and the findings, it is imperative for pharmaceutical policy plans to involve a diverse group of experts from the beginning, prioritizing the preferences of stakeholders, and providing a patient-centred approach to prevent the worsening of resource shortages.

Access to essential and innovative anti-cancer medicines: a longitudinal study in Nanjing, China

PURPOSE

To evaluate the availability, cost, affordability of anti-cancer medicines in Nanjing, Jiangsu.

METHODS

A longitudinal tracking investigation study was performed to collect information about 24 essential anti-cancer medicines (EAMs) and 17 innovative anti-cancer medicines (IAMs) in 26 healthcare institutions in Nanjing from 2016 to 2020. The availability, cost, drug utilization and affordability of EAMs and IAMs were investigated.

RESULTS

The availability of EAMs showed no significant changes in Nanjing, but the availability of IAMs showed a significant increase in 2018 and 2019 and tended to stabilize in 2020. For EAMs, the DDDc(Defined Daily Dose cost) of LPGs (Lowest-Priced Generics) showed no significant changes, and the DDDc of OBs (Originator Brands) and IAMs significantly decreased. The DDDs(Defined Daily Doses) of EAMs (LPGs) showed a decreasing trend since 2016 and rose again in 2019. Overall, the DDDs of EAMs (LPGs) decreased by 25.18% between 2016 and 2020, but the proportion selected for clinical treatment remained at 67.35% in 2020. The DDDs of EAMs (OBs) and IAMs both showed an increasing trend year by year, with a proportional increase of 207.72% and 652.68%, respectively; but the proportion selected for clinical treatment was only 16.09% and 16.56% respectively in 2020. EAMs (LPGs) had good affordability for urban residents but poor affordability for rural residents; the affordability of EAMs (OBs) and IAMs was poor for both urban and rural residents.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no significant changes in the availability and cost of EAMs (LPGs), whose lower prices showed better affordability. Although their relative change in drug utilization showed a decreasing trend, they still dominated clinical treatment. Driven by the national drug price negotiation (NDPN) policy, the availability of IAMs was on the rise. It is necessary to further develop and strengthen policies for essential medicines procurement assessment to improve the accessibility of EAMs.

How National Health Insurance Coverage Policy Affected the Use of Trastuzumab and Rituximab in China: A Bicentric Retrospective Study

Background

Cancer is a significant health concern and is China's leading cause of mortality. Targeted therapies, such as trastuzumab and rituximab, have enhanced clinical treatment efficacy. However, their high costs burden patients and healthcare systems considerably. Patient demographic factors further influence the utilization of these expensive drugs. On September 1, 2017, China implemented the National Health Insurance Coverage (NHIC) policy, necessitating additional real-world evidence to assess its impact on patients.

Methods

Data on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer and CD20-positive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma patients were gathered in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital and Fujian Cancer Hospital from September 2015 to August 2019, including demographic and clinical information. All eligible patients were divided into two groups. Univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to investigate the differences between subgroups. An interrupted time-series regression was used to examine the change in trastuzumab and rituximab utilization percentages.

Results

Before and after the NHIC policy, utilization of trastuzumab increased from 61.13% to 75.10%, and the increase was statistically significant. Rituximab therapy increased statistically significantly from 64.79% to 74.88%. The key factor influencing trastuzumab and rituximab use was the NHIC policy. With policy implementation, medical insurance status, occupations, and cancer disease stage affected trastuzumab and rituximab use.

Conclusion

The NHIC policy is essential to the utilization of trastuzumab and rituximab, and the patient's income level and repayment abilities continue to impact the use of innovative anti-cancer drugs. Appropriate steps, such as reducing the urban-rural gap and broadening medical insurance coverage, would enable more people to access novel anti-cancer drugs.

Overall survival benefits of cancer drugs in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, 2015-2021

INTRODUCTION

We examined overall survival (OS) benefits for targeted cancer drugs recommended for List of Essential Medicines (EMLs) since 2015. We assessed consistency of decisions in 2019 and 2021 with more specific criteria: OS benefit >4 months and high scores on European Society for Medical Oncology-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS).

METHODS

We identified applications for cancer drug in WHO EMLs from 2015 to 2021. We extracted evidence of OS benefit documented in WHO Technical Report Series (TRS) and compared it to evidence from pivotal trial(s) documented in Food and Drug Administration-approved labels. We retrieved published ESMO-MCBS scores. We summarised availability and magnitude of OS benefit and ESMO-MCBS scores and assessed consistency of inclusion decisions against WHO criteria.

RESULTS

22/54 targeted cancer drug indications were recommended. Among them, 68.2% and 31.8% had OS benefit evidence documented in WHO-TRS and pivotal trials, respectively. Among those not recommended, 59.4% and 56.3% had OS benefit evidence documented in WHO-TRS and pivotal trials, respectively. Of 11 cancer drug indications recommended in 2019 and 2021, 54.5% and 9.1% had evidence of OS benefit >4 months in WHO-TRS and pivotal trials, respectively; 45.5% met ESMO-MCBS criteria. Ten targeted cancer drugs had more than one application for the same indications. Five of those were eventually recommended, including three without new evidence of OS benefit. Additional factors, such as reduced cost, and increased treatment options, seemed to be important factors in the selection.

CONCLUSION

While WHO has defined approval criteria for cancer drugs EML, we identified areas where adherence of these criteria and communication of the EML approval decision-making processes can be improved.

Access to anticancer medicines in public hospitals of Northwestern China

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the accessibility of anticancer medicines in public hospitals of Shaanxi, a representative province of Northwestern China.

Methods

Thirty-one anticancer medicines were investigated in 146 designated public hospitals in 10 cities of Shaanxi Province. We used medicine procurement data from the Shaanxi Drug Centralized Purchasing Platform during 2019-2021. Primary outcomes included the availability, drug utilization, and affordability of anticancer medicines.

Results

The mean availability of 31 anticancer medicines increased significantly from 5.45% in 2019 to 14.72% in 2021. The mean availability of nationally negotiated medicines was significantly lower than that of Class B medicines (8.72% vs. 12.85%, p = 0.048), whilst the availability of injectable medicines was significantly greater than that of oral medicines (13.66% vs. 8.77%, p = 0.007). In 2019-2021, the annual mean amount purchased increased significantly from CNY 6.51 million to CNY 18.56 million (p = 0.007). The mean defined daily doses of 31 medicines significantly rose from 225.50 to 1019.50 (p = 0.008) whereas their defined daily drug cost significantly decreased from CNY 551.15 to CNY 404.50 (p < 0.001). The percentage of catastrophic health expenditure decreased from 71.0 to 51.65% and from 90.30 to 80.60% for urban and rural residents, respectively. The affordability of nationally negotiated medicines was significantly lower than that of Class B medicines (p = 0.032), and the affordability of injectable medicines had no significant difference compared to that of oral medicines (p = 0.124) for both urban and rural residents.

Conclusion

The accessibility of anticancer medicines improved dramatically in public hospitals of Northwestern China during the period 2019-2021.

The impact of China's zero markup drug policy on drug costs for managing Parkinson's disease and its complications: an interrupted time series analysis

Background

In April 2009, the Chinese government launched Zero Markup Drug Policy (ZMDP) to adjust medical institutions' revenue and expenditure structures.

Objective

This study evaluated the impact of implementing ZMDP (as an intervention) on the drug costs for managing Parkinson's disease (PD) and its complications from the healthcare providers' perspective.

Methods

The drug costs for managing PD and its complications per outpatient visit or inpatient stay were estimated using electronic health data from a tertiary hospital in China from January 2016 to August 2018. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted to evaluate the immediate change following the intervention (step change, β₁) and the change in slope, comparing post-intervention with the pre-intervention period (trend change, β₂). Subgroup analyses were conducted in outpatients within the strata of age, patients with or without health insurance, and whether drugs were listed in the national Essential Medicine List (EML).

Results

Overall, 18,158 outpatient visits and 366 inpatient stays were included. Outpatient (β₁ = -201.7, 95%CI: -285.4, -117.9) and inpatient (β₁ = -372.1, 95% CI: -643.6, -100.6) drug costs for managing PD significantly decreased when implementing ZMDP. However, for outpatients without health insurance, the trend change in drug costs for managing PD (β₂ = 16.8, 95% CI: 8.0, 25.6) or PD complications (β₂ = 12.6, 95% CI: 5.5, 19.7) significantly increased. Trend changes in outpatient drug costs for managing PD differed when stratifying drugs listed in EML (β₂ = -1.4, 95% CI: -2.6, -0.2) or not (β₂ = 6.3, 95%CI: 2.0, 10.7). Trend changes of outpatient drug costs for managing PD complications significantly increased in drugs listed in EML (β₂ = 14.7, 95% CI 9.2, 20.3), patients without health insurance (β₂ = 12.6, 95% CI 5.5, 19.7), and age under 65 (β₂ = 24.3, 95% CI 17.3, 31.4).

Conclusions

Drug costs for managing PD and its complications significantly decreased when implementing ZMDP. However, the trend in drug costs increased significantly in several subgroups, which may offset the decrease at the implementation.

The impact of national centralized drug procurement on health expenditures for lung cancer inpatients: A difference-in-differences analysis in a large tertiary hospital in China

The availability and affordability of medicines remain major health challenges around the world. In March 2019, the Chinese government introduced a pilot National Centralized Drug Procurement (NCDP) program in order to reduce drug prices and improve the affordability of effective and safe medicines. This study aimed to assess the impact of NCDP policy on health expenditures of cancer patients. Using inpatient discharge records from a large hospital in the pilot city, we performed a difference-in-differences design to estimate the change in health expenditures before and after the policy. We found that the implementation of NCDP was associated with a significant decrease in total expenditures (14.13%) and drug expenditures (20.75%) per inpatient admission. There were also significant reductions in non-drug-related expenditures, including a 7.65% decrease in health service expenditures, a 38.28% decrease in diagnosis expenditures, and a 25.31% decrease in consumable material expenditures per inpatient admission. However, the NCDP implementation was associated with a 107.97% increase in the traditional Chinese medicine expenditures. Overall, the study provided evidence that the NCDP policy has achieved its goals of high-quality and affordable healthcare. The drug expenditures of lung cancer patients revealed a continuous decline, and the policy may have spillover effects on other healthcare expenditures. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of NCDP on policy-related expenditures and health outcomes.

Can the Profitability of Medical Enterprises Be Improved After Joining China's Centralized Drug Procurement? A Difference-in-Difference Design

This paper explores the impact of joining centralized drug procurement of China on the profitability of medical enterprises by the difference-in-difference (DID) model. When centralized procurement cannot bring enough cost savings to enterprises, the price competition caused by centralized procurement will lead to the decline of enterprise profits. In the short term, the negative impact of China's drug centralized procurement policy on the net profit of enterprises is not obvious in the year when enterprises win the bid. After the government officially purchases from pharmaceutical enterprises, the negative impact of the drug centralized procurement policy of China on the net profit of enterprises begins to appear gradually. Therefore, the generic drug manufacturers increase R&D investment and have their own heavy products of original drugs as soon as possible to enhance their core competitiveness.