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Global Pricing News Alert – Saudi Arabia’s New Clinical Guidelines Could Influence Drug Pricing Decisions

NAVLIN BRIEF:

  • The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has initiated the development of its own clinical guidelines. Publishing the first issue of the Saudi Journal of Clinical Pharmacy (SJCP), Ahmed Al-jedai, Deputyship of Therapeutic Affairs at the Ministry of Health, outlined the aims, missions and values of the guidelines.
  • Going forward, the guidelines are intended to “contribute [to] and enhance the dynamic field of clinical pharmacy in the context of KSA’s ever-changing healthcare environment with promises of a better and healthier future.”
  • Saudi Arabia currently uses either international reference pricing (IRP) or therapeutic reference pricing to establish the price of medicines; however, according to EVERSANA Data Analyst Aatiqah Thanvi, after they are published, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) could potentially use the guidelines to influence price decisions.

The Details

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has initiated the development of its own clinical guidelines. In the first published issue of the Saudi Journal of Clinical Pharmacy (SJCP), Ahmed Al-jedai, Deputyship of Therapeutic Affairs at the Ministry of Health, outlined the aims, missions and values of the clinical guidelines.

Going forward, the guidelines are intended to “contribute [to] and enhance the dynamic field of clinical pharmacy in the context of KSA’s ever-changing healthcare environment with promises of a better and healthier future.”

Al-jedai added, “Our journal aims at leading the clinical pharmacy practice in the Arab nations and rest of the world by presenting cutting-edge, exemplary, unbiased, evidence-based research and abiding [by] the highest standards of international publishing and reporting guidelines.

“Furthermore, SJCP will open new forums for young investigators, researchers and clinical pharmacists around the world to publish their prestigious research and create opportunities for the development of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary conversations, thereby keeping us connected within and across specialties.”

The SJCP will publish topics related to the following:

  • Pharmacotherapy
  • Medication therapy management
  • Clinical pharmacy practice experiences
  • Services development, integration, delivery and outcomes
  • Real-world evidence
  • Clinical practice guidelines
  • Position statements
  • White papers
  • Education and training
  • Credentialing and privileging
  • Pharmacoepidemiology
  • Pharmacovigilance
  • Pharmacoeconomics
  • Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
  • Health informatics
  • Public health
  • Pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics

According to the Saudi Society of Clinical Pharmacy (SSCP), advancements in clinical pharmacy practice are often plagued with a myriad of challenges that need to be addressed by policymakers to ensure access to medicines and healthcare. These clinical guidelines, they hope, will help mitigate a number of these issues.

Impact on Saudi Arabia, GCC

As it stands in KSA, manufacturers may conduct payer interviews before launch to understand the current treatment pathway and prescribing behaviours and determine the potential place in therapy for their product, as well as gain better knowledge of disease management within the country. Upon launch and submission to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), the authority accepts from the manufacturer proposed prices that reflect the value of the product, depending on physician feedback.

The SFDA will either use international reference pricing (IRP) or look at existing treatments that would serve as local benchmarks. According to EVERSANA Data Analyst Aatiqah Thanvi, the development of SJCP Clinical Guidelines could potentially influence pricing decisions as well as access strategies. In addition, these guidelines will be influential to other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Please get in touch via our Ask the Analyst feature to find out more information about the potential impact, or feel free to reach out to a NAVLIN team member.

Saudi Arabia and HTA

Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a number of other initiatives aimed at amending drug pricing and reimbursement in the market; last year Hussain Al-Omar, Associate Professor of Pharmacoeconomics at King Saud University, announced the formation of a new Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Unit for Saudi Arabia at a national level.

Previously, the SFDA would ask manufacturers for either a cost-effectiveness or budget impact on a case-by-case basis, and HTA was mainly determined in accounts by the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees (PT), which would act as the decision-maker for formulary inclusion in different healthcare sectors. Under this system, health technology requirements would differ across accounts.

The organization is the first unit of its kind to be launched in the region and is being implemented in order to “serve the needs of health policy and decision-makers in both public and private sectors whilst keeping them informed using a scientific approach and robust methods.”

EVERSANA Here to Help

It has yet to be seen how all the above changes will directly impact drug pricing in KSA, but the NAVLIN News Team is keeping tabs on developments, and EVERSANA™ uniquely has the people, methods and tools to assist businesses in navigating any changing pharmaceutical policies. This expertise is built on our combined decades of experience solving problems in and building tools for global pricing intelligence, global visibility and product launch expertise, which puts us in a trusted position to advise clients on how to handle these changes.

At the same time, our team strives to deliver accurate, comprehensive insights on major policy and regulatory changes, as well as HTA decisions and drug approvals, in 100+ markets around the world. Our team of researchers checks a database of over 700 reliable sources, including everything from government databases to local newspapers, to provide readers with in-depth updates on the ever-changing pricing and reimbursement landscape. In addition, we provide conference coverage and utilize our team of consultants to detail how major changes, such as the clinical guidelines and establishing of an HTA network, can impact market access and the global pricing landscape.

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