FIRST
HEALTHCARE
CONFERENCE

A fundamental element of any healthcare system is access to medicines. In North Macedonia, over 40% of healthcare spending is out-of-pocket, and majority, approximately 80%, is for medicines. The reasons for this are due to several interrelated policy perspectives.

From the financing perspective, the planning and allocation of public budget funds in the health sector are not adequate to meet patient needs. The reimbursement system, which has been non-functional for over a decade, has seriously affected patients’ access to new, effective treatments. National-level data and statistics are necessary to adequately plan resources and deliver value-based, quality healthcare services throughout the entire patient journey, and this data is lacking. When it comes to setting the rules on access to medicines, North Macedonia, as a country on the path to European Union membership, is obliged not only to harmonize the national rules with the EU acquis but, more importantly, to achieve their practical implementation of the objectives set by the EU framework. Tackling these issues requires a systemic approach and a comprehensive discussion among all stakeholders in order to identify the best solutions and provide recommendations for policymaking.

The goal of this healthcare conference is to gather in one place decision-makers, healthcare professionals and experts, industry, patient organizations, international organizations, universities, NGOs, media, and all other relevant stakeholders and invite them to offer their views and recommendations on these topics. This is the first step in the process of continued multi-stakeholder collaboration to bring to the surface the importance of access to medicines as a healthcare policy priority topic and work on concrete, achievable solutions to overcome the pressing issues and improve the overall healthcare system in North Macedonia.

This conference is organized by AmCham Healthcare Committee that brings together members from innovative and generic pharma producers, distributors, pharmacies, and digital health companies.