By the time the amendment of Law 363/2011 came into force, many innovative medicines had reached thousands of patients through the so-called exception regime. It was therefore up to the health insurance company to assess whether or not the medicine was reimbursed to the patient. After the new cancer patients get modern medicines without unnecessary time or other delays. The aim of the medical department in the field of drug policy was mainly to help patients get to medicines that can not only save their lives but especially improve their quality. Slovakia ranked among the worst European countries in terms of availability of oncology medicines before the amendment of Law 363/2011.
I would very much like to inform the public that the referral committee for medicinal products first approved contracts signed by the Ministry of Health with producers of innovative oncology medicinal products, stated Róbert Babeľa, State Secretary of the Department.
At its October meeting, the Commission approved 4 oncology contracts. These medicines are:
KYPROLIS indication multiple myeloma, except for
ALUNBRIG, indication for advanced lung cancer,
KEYTRUDA, indications of skin melanone and lung cancer, except for
PHESGO, indication of breast cancer.
The resort was able to negotiate in an extremely short period of time conditions that would allow the system to save more than 40 million euros of public health insurance over 3 years compared to the original proposals for expected costs.
Since the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Health has historically approved one of the highest, if not the highest, oncology medicinal products in the classical classification system, in cooperation with insurance companies as well as experts. These are specifically 11 medicines for indications of lung, breast, prostate or chronic leukaemia. In total this year MZ SR strengthened the field of oncology therapy by 15 innovative medicines and 19 new indications.
Law 363, which has been in force since August of this year, brought about changes in procedures designed to support the provision of standard reimbursement of medicines, introduced new instruments to ensure efficient and efficient spending of resources, as well as changes in procedures ensuring cost savings for medicines (changes in the revision of reimbursement, referencing or entry of generic and biologically similar medicines).

These steps ensure that public health insurance means that medicines are reimbursed in an amount commensurate with the well-established clinical benefit the medicine brings to the patient.