Revisiting Roles of Health Technology Assessment on Drug Policy in Universal Health Coverage in Thailand: Where Are We? And What Is Next?

Tanvejsilp P 1 , Taychakhoonavudh S 2 , Chaikledkaew U 3 , Chaiyakunapruk N 4 , Ngorsuraches S 5

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
  • 2 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 3 Social Administrative Pharmacy Excellence Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Health Technology Assessment Postgraduate Program, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 4 School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center of Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand; School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Asian Center of Evidence Synthesis in Population, Implementation and Clinical Outcomes, Health and Well-Being Cluster, Global Asia in the 21st Century Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. Electronic address: surachat@auburn.edu
Value Health Reg Issues, 2019 May;18:78-82.
PMID: 30641410 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2018.11.004

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe the process, challenges, and future direction of health technology assessment (HTA), focusing on the drug selection of the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) in Thailand.

METHODS: Literature and government documents were reviewed and analyzed by authors with experiences in HTA and drug policy in the country.

RESULTS: The structure of HTA and its process in the drug selection of the NLEM were described, followed by the outcomes of the use of HTA. Examples of lowering drug prices, as a result of price negotiation using HTA, were presented. A few examples were also provided to demonstrate how decisions were made from considering factors beyond cost-effectiveness findings. Finally, challenges on various issues including improvement of HTA structure and process were discussed for the future direction of HTA in Thailand.

CONCLUSIONS: HTA has been adopted as a tool for the drug selection of the NLEM to help Thailand achieve universal health coverage. Nevertheless, various challenges exist and need to be addressed.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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