We welcome the Ministerial Statement from the OECD Health Committee, which seeks to address many important issues for health systems in OECD countries.  Reducing waste and low-value care, to facilitate investment in the interventions that bring the most benefit to patients, is critical to the quality and sustainability of healthcare across OECD countries.

This evolution is predicated on better health data, and we therefore welcome warmly the Ministers’ focus on the utilisation of healthcare data and their ambition to collect patient-reported outcomes.

The statement correctly recognises the potential of innovative technologies to improve the performance and efficiency of health systems, and provide more patient-centred care (e.g. through personalised medicine).  With over 7,000 medicines in development, there is reason to be optimistic about the future for patients, healthcare systems and for society.

As an industry, we acknowledge the affordability challenges faced by healthcare systems, under pressure from rising healthcare demand, and recognise that the introduction of some high-impact innovation can be disruptive in the short term, impacting on healthcare budgets.

Horizon scanning, better budget planning, in addition to health technology assessment highlighted in the statement, can all help to manage these issues.

The inclusion of industry representatives in the OECD Ministerial, through the Business at OECD Association, is also a positive step, recognising the role of industry in working with governments to find solutions to make medicines accessible and healthcare more sustainable, whilst securing future medical innovation.

Media contacts 

EFPIA
Faraz Kermani
Communications Manager (External Affairs)
Mobile:  +44 (0) 7885 390 335
Email: faraz.kermani@efpia.eu

IFPMA
Brendan Shaw
Assistant Director General
Email: b.shaw@ifpma.org