There is a need to “adopt a more consistent and proactive approach in evaluating the clinical impact of new therapies to ensure adequate funding,” as stated by the OF.
Meanwhile, Helder Mota Filipe, the president of the OF, highlighted in a statement that “strengthening hospitals’ capacity to generate robust and high-quality records, allowing for reliable measurement of consumption and outcomes,” is essential.
“Only then will it be possible to improve negotiation processes with the pharmaceutical industry and advance toward result-based or risk-sharing models, contributing to the sustainability of the National Health Service,” asserted Helder Mota Filipe.
The National Index of Hospital Drug Access 2025 reveals that three out of four public hospitals do not systematically monitor the results of new therapies they employ. This situation could potentially reduce medication expenses, which have increased by 15% through September.
The findings also indicate that most hospitals do not re-evaluate a new therapy after its use—an approach that could aid in renegotiating prices with the industry—and that 80% do not manage data related to the effectiveness and safety of medications in real-world applications.
The index, promoted by the Portuguese Association of Hospital Pharmacists, reports that 84% of institutions lack any integrated system for managing clinical, financial, or administrative data, which could facilitate cost-effectiveness analysis of health interventions.
The index, assessing the level of access to medications in National Health Service hospitals, also collected information on drug dispensing in proximity, which covers only 40% of patients who typically collect medications from a hospital—a result deemed “below expectations” by experts.
The president of the Order of Pharmacists calls for all hospitals to “implement this regime,” emphasizing the importance of “better coordination among entities involved in the process, as well as the simplification of bureaucratic and logistical procedures.”
The proximity drug dispensing regime aims to facilitate patient access to certain medications at preferred and more conveniently located sites, like community pharmacies, as an alternative to hospital pharmacy visits.
