Tasks
Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board
Expert group
Secretariat
Pharmaceuticals Pricing Boardmakes decisions on the medical products included in the reimbursement system |
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Expert groupprovides opinions on applications to the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board |
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Secretariatprepares applications for decision-making |
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The Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board (Hila) operates under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Decision-making in the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board is based on the Health Insurance Act.
The Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board takes decisions on medicinal products, basic ointments and clinical nutritional products included in the drug reimbursement system, and their wholesale prices and reimbursement categories. The decisions are based on applications submitted to the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board. In addition, the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board is in charge of decision-making regarding the reference price system of medicinal products. The Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board confirms the reference price groups, reference prices and products included in the reference price groups.
The Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board makes decisions on the reimbursement status and wholesale price of medicinal products. Decisions are made upon presentation. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health appoints the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board for a term of three years at a time. The Board consists of seven members, of which at least one has to represent expertise in medicine, one must be a pharmaceutical expert, one shall possess legal expertise and one economic expertise.
The Board must have two members from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, one from the Ministry of Finance, two from the Social Insurance Institution, one from the Finnish Medicines Agency, and one from the National Institute for Health and Welfare. The Board meets on average once a month, and more frequently if necessary.
The term of office of the current Board is from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027.
An expert group with the maximum of seven members operates in connection to the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board. The group must include members with expertise from the fields of medicine, pharmacology and health insurance services.
The expert group provides opinions. The expert group does not make decisions. Prior to making a decision, the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board may request the expert group for an opinion on an application, for example, when a pharmaceutical company is applying for basic reimbursement status or special reimbursement status for a medicinal product containing a new active pharmaceutical ingredient or for extension of reimbursement status to a new indication.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health appoints the expert group for a term of three years at a time. The term of office of the current expert group is from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027.
The secretariat of the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board is responsible for preparing applications submitted to the Board for decision-making. In addition to the director, the secretariat consists of a senior medical officer, a lawyer, a senior specialist in health economics, a principal pharmaceutical officer, chief pharmaceutical officers, pharmaceutical officers and secretaries.
Chief pharmaceutical officers and pharmaceutical officers act as presenting officers in the meetings of the Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board, and the senior medical officer performs this duty in the meetings of the expert group.