TOGETHER WE'RE STRONGER

RADOMIR CEROVIĆ

President of the FIC Pharma Industry Committee (Roche d.o.o.)

Through cooperation established with the Task Force of the Serbian Government, the FIC Pharmaceutical Industry Committee endeavours to contribute to the strengthening of all aspects of the health system, which isn't only an existential saviour for the population during epidemiological crises, but also a precondition for every form of progress for the country

Whether there is a crisis period or a regular situation, the continuous and systemic funding of new therapies by conthe availability of modern, high-quality medicines is stantly reviewing real needs and accordingly making appropriate the primary goal of all activities of the Pharma Induallocations from both the central budget and the budget of the stry Committee. Thus, when we conclude that there RHIF. Moreover, the comprehensive digitalisation of society were no disruptions to the supply of the medicines market during should, perhaps most intensively, “infect” the health sector and the COVID-19 pandemic we can clearly conclude that our member further raise its efficiency. When that happens, the preconditions companies fulfilled the social role additionally assigned to them. will be created for treating patients on the basis of data, as well Now, major tremors also provide an opportunity for major chanas for the individual selecting and monitoring of therapies for ges, in order for the healthcare each patient individually, all system to elevate its ability to of which are characteristics of resist future crises. In that sense, We believe that the trend of additional personalised medicine that all the basic conclusion to this crisis should be that the state must no investments in raising the quality of of the most developed countries strive to achieve. longer allow itself to make any public health services will continue once However, the new relatikind of savings on healthcare. That's because when all the resources of the health system are the pandemic ends. Here we primarily mean ensuring the continuous and onship towards the healthcare system and its better treatment after the COVID-19 pandemic overstretched, then their quality systemic financing of new therapies must be demonstrated through and efficiency become key to the the solving of basic problems system's functioning. from the past. This primarily

For this very reason – although we understand that the counrefers to preventing a chain of illiquidity in the supply chain ittry's economic resources will be quite depleted once the pandemic self, as a result of the accumulated debts to suppliers of a certain ends – we believe that the trend of additional investments in number of state health institutions. This debt amounted to around raising the quality of public health services will continue. Here 11 billion dinars at the start of the year. It should also be noted we primarily mean a continuation of the introduction of new inimmediately that the RHIF introduced a system of direct payments novative and generic therapies on the List of Medicines, because to suppliers during 2019, in order to ensure better control and we shouldn't forget that the Republic Health Insurance Fund purposeful spending, and to prevent the creation of new debts (RHIF), with the full understanding and support of the Ministry for healthcare institutions. However, along with the hope that of Health and the Ministry of Finance, already made innovative the aforementioned system of direct payments will fulfil its goal therapies for lung cancer and multiple sclerosis available to paand prevent the emergence of new debts, a way must be found to tients at the beginning of 2020. It is a given - for the benefit of all settle existing debts that represent a major burden on the work market actors, including the RHIF – that it is essential to ensure of wholesalers and other suppliers of medicines. ■