18 May, 2017
On 3 May 2017, the Ministry of Health (the "MOH") announced that the Agency for Care Effectiveness (the "ACE"), which the MOH established in August 2015, will be releasing its first set of 11 drug guidances from 3 May onwards. This initiative is aligned with the MOH's Beyond Healthcare 2020 plan to ensure that healthcare in Singapore remains affordable and sustainable in the future.
The drug guidances are crafted based on a Health Technology Assessment, which is a globally recognised way to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of nascent technologies. The guidances will aid healthcare providers, professionals and patients in making informed decisions on the healthcare treatments which are appropriate for their circumstances. Additionally, the guidances will state whether there are government subsidies which Singaporeans between the lower and lower-middle income levels may be entitled to when purchasing medications for the respective treatments.
The release of these guidances will make decision-making more transparent, and is in line with what some of ACE's counterparts (e.g. the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence in the United Kingdom, and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in Australia) have done.
More details can be found in the MOH's press release here.
For further information, please contact:
Andy Leck, Principal, Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow
andy.leck@bakermckenzie.com
