Value Assessments Should Encompass More Than Just Medicines
NPC submitted comments to the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review in response to its request for non-drug assessment topics, noting that value assessments should encompass more than just medicines.
The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) today submitted comments to the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in response to its request for non-drug assessment topics, noting that value assessments should encompass more than just medicines. To date, ICER has focused almost entirely on drug assessments, even though medicines comprise only 16% of all health care spending. NPC had pointed out in several previous comment letters to ICER that assessments should focus on the entire U.S. health care system.
In comments submitted today, NPC recommended that ICER prioritize non-drug reviews that could make a real impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of U.S. health care system. Specifically, ICER should consider reviewing interventions that could be politically sensitive within the health care community, are financially significant, and have an informative and suitable supply of evidence.
NPC also suggested that ICER become more engaged in efforts to identify low-value care and opportunities to reduce or eliminate it. Low-value care is a pervasive and ongoing problem in the U.S. health care system, with estimated costs as high as $266 billion annually.