Health Technology Assessment and Managed Entry Agreements Webinar

On January 31, 2021, CCHO assisted the Saudi Health Technology Assessment and the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society in organizinge an educational webinar to share local, regional, and international expertise in areas of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Managed Entry Agreements (MEA).

Various speakers were welcomed from around the region to discuss the areas of MEA and HTA. Panelists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia discussed value-based healthcare in their country, along with the status of MEA and regulatory frameworks. Next, Dr. Mouna Jamaleddine, Director of the Health Technology Assessment Department at the National Authority for Assessment and Accreditation in Healthcare in Tunisia, reviewed HTA practices and processes in Tunisia while highlighting key lessons learned. To add, Dr. Rita Karam, Head of Quality Assurance of Pharmaceutical Products Program Director at the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon, led the ISPOR Arabic Network that supported the event and shared experiences from the Ministry of Public Health on MEA and HTA practices in Lebanon. Additionally, Richard Chapman, Director of Health Economics at the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review in the United States and Karl Claxton, Member of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Appraisal Committee in the United Kingdom, provided international perspectives on the matter, concluding with a framework approach for the successful establishment of MEA.

The conference also gathered experts in the HTA field who discussed its impact on healthcare financial resources, the HTA practice in Tunisia and Lebanon and the role of HTAs in MEA schemes development with examples from the United States. The webinar was a success with important facts and studies being shared by experts to better explore the field of MEAs and the use of innovative therapies to improve patient access and accommodate costs in the region.