On June 23, 2023, AmCham attended the meeting organized by the Government, with esteemed government officials including the Minister of Health, Fatmir Mejiti, the Deputy Minister of Health, Maja Manoleva, and the Prime Minister’s Health Advisor, Professor Dr Ana Daneva-Markova. Additionally, representatives from the Health Insurance Fund, the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, pharmaceutical companies, and the Patients’ Association were present. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss potential solutions for updating the positive list of drugs.
During the working meeting, it was highlighted that the list of medicines under the responsibility of the Health Insurance Fund of the Republic of North Macedonia has not undergone any updates in the past 15 years. It was emphasised that there is a pressing need to revise and streamline this list, replacing outdated medications with newer alternatives, which will not have financial implications on the budget, while also looking for ways to introduce innovative medicines.
At the meeting, it was emphasized that promoting public health and improving patient care is a strategic objective that requires timely and adequate access to contemporary, high-quality pharmaceuticals and medical technologies.
At the meeting, North Macedonia’s Minister of Health, Fatmir Mejiti, stated that a Commission for the Positive List will be constituted next week. He is optimistic and hopes to “clean” the list and supplement it with new medicines as soon as possible, but procedures must be simplified.
The March 2023 Rulebook on the technique and methodology for determining and implementing the List of drugs under the Health Insurance Fund of North Macedonia was discussed at the meeting. This Rulebook is a good starting point for finding permanent, sustainable solutions for providing all citizens with the necessary medicines and opening up the possibility of establishing a functional and sustainable system for regular renewal of the list of medicines, as well as special agreements that will allow more innovative medicines for all patients who need them while predicting and protecting the health budget.
During the meeting, it was agreed that the next step would be a Q&A session for the Rulebook for the positive list and the procedure of submitting requests to the Health Insurance Fund for the new positive list.
