TNMU Professor as a Member of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Delegation Participated in a Meeting with NICE Representatives and the Department for Business and Trade in the UK
On June 17-22, 2023, the Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University Oleksandra Oleshchuk, as part of a delegation from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, participated in a meeting with representatives of NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and the Department for Business and Trade, the UK on the topic “Knowledge transfer and capability building program on institutionalization and governance of HTA for the Ministry of Health, Ukraine” and was a participant in the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023, which took place on June 21-22 in London (the UK).
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) is a British agency for medical technology assessment (MTA), which specializes in developing recommendations and guidelines for evaluating the clinical effectiveness, safety and economic feasibility of medical technologies, procedures, drugs and clinical programs. NICE’s main aim is to improve the health system and patient care in the UK. The organization provides an objective and independent assessment of scientific evidence relating to the effectiveness and economic feasibility of various medical interventions. NICE recommendations are important for the health care system not only in the UK, but also in all economically developed countries in which MTA is implemented. Their recommendations are used to make decisions about treatment, diagnosis and care of patients and are a benchmark for the development of recommendations by agencies in other countries. NICE uses a wide range of methods to gather and evaluate evidence, including analysis of clinical trials, cost-effectiveness assessments, and expert and stakeholder consultation.
During the two-day meeting of the delegation of the Ministry of Health and the State Expert Centre of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine with NICE representatives, the participants reviewed the current state of cooperation between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and NICE; discussed the situation with MTA in Ukraine (state, road map, short- and long-term goals); learned about NICE activities (legislative framework, social values and principles, operational policies and procedures), institutional mechanisms (stakeholder engagement strategies, conflict of interest management), key changes and operational challenges
Participants of the meeting at NICE from the Ukrainian and British sides.
The Ukrainian delegation together with the Associate Director of NICE International Pilar Pinilla-Dominguez (in the centre).
The main focus of the meeting was on such topics as the functional structure and working mechanisms of the NICE Centre for Medical Technology Assessment; organizational structure and functions of the team; working principles of planning and procedures; financing mechanism; composition of the committee and recruitment of members; commercial and managed access agreements and other important issues.
On behalf of the hosts, the speech was delivered by Pilar Pinilla-Dominguez, Deputy Director, NICE International, who is responsible for the strategic goals and direction of NICE International; Federica Ciamponi, Scientific Adviser, NICE, responsible for scientific advice projects; Jennifer Prescott, Program Director, MTA Processes and Operations and other representatives from NICE, BPIC and NHSE UK.
As part of the program and being the member of the delegation, Professor Oleksandra Oleshchuk took part in the Ukraine Recovery Conference, 2023, which took place in London on June 21-22. The purpose of the event, organized by the UK together with the Government of Ukraine, is to mobilize the international community to ensure the long-term economic future of Ukraine, including helping Ukraine to rebuild as a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and prosperous European state. More than 1,000 foreign high-ranking officials from 61 countries, representatives of non-governmental organizations, health ministries of various countries, business leaders, and entrepreneurs took part in the conference.
Professor Oleksandra Oleshchuk at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, 2023.
The panel discussion “Pharmacy and Health Care”, to which Professor Oleksandra Oleschuk was invited, covered the following issues:
– Stability and development of health care in the conditions of war
– The role of public-private partnership in the modernization of health care infrastructure
– Ensuring access to innovative medicines: the experience of NICE
– The fundamentals of clinical research
Participants of the conference from the Ukrainian side – Oleksandra Oleshchuk, Oresta Piniazhko, Mykhailo Babenko; representatives of the Department of Business and Trade of the UK – Lina Vetova and Nick Lane; the Head of the WHO Bureau in Ukraine – Jarno Habicht.
Speakers and participants of the event presented and discussed unique cases of the medical system of our country, which continues stable work under conditions of severe aggression: implements reforms, develops digital technologies and demonstrates opportunities for growth. After the panel discussion, the participants started discussion with the Deputy Ministry of Health Maria Karchevych, the Minister of Health of the UK Will Quince, representatives of British and Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies, and others.
Participants of the Ukrainian delegation with the Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Maria Karchevych, Associate Director of NICE International Pilar Pinilla-Dominguez, representatives of the Department of Business and Trade of the UK – Lina Vetova and Nick Lane.
Representatives of Ukraine Oleksandra Oleshchuk, Oresta Piniazhko and Mykhailo Babenko with the British Minister of Health Will Quince.
On June 21, at the invitation of the Department of Business and Trade of the UK, Professor Oleksandra Oleshchuk as part of the Ukrainian delegation attended a business reception held at Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. During the meeting, the investment attractiveness of Ukraine and five key segments that will form the basis of recovery and transformation of the economy after the war were discussed. The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, who took part in this event, noted the great potential in the energy sector, gas production and storage, hydropower, military industry and agriculture.
A joint photo of the participants of the reception.
On June 23, Professor Oleksandra Oleshchuk visited the LSE London School of Economics and Political Science. A meeting was held with Panos Kanavos, a well-known pharmacoeconomist, professor of the LSE Department of Health policy. It discussed issues of patients’ access to medicines, issues of pricing and economic principles of health care policy.
Professor Oleksandra Oleshchuk at the London School of Economics.
At the meeting of the Ukrainian delegation with Professor Panos Kanavos.
The information was provided by the Head of the Department of Pharmacology with Clinical Pharmacology, Professor Oleksandra Oleshchuk.