Kurkime modernią Lietuvos ateitį kartu
Registruotis
The Ministry of Health
Improving access to innovative medicines in Lithuania
Problem
Introducing innovative medicines is a complex process that involves authorisation, health technology assessment (HTA), pricing and reimbursement negotiations, and integration into the health system. The EU acknowledges these challenges as well as the need to increase EU competitiveness and regional security, and has undertaken legislative changes to address them. However, since the new HTA Regulation and the proposed Pharmaceutical Legislation are not yet (fully) implemented, their intended benefits – streamlined HTA procedures, reduced burden on national authorities, faster and more affordable patient access, and stronger industry incentives – are yet to be realised.
According to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries, European patients wait on average 578 days to access new medicines. Lithuania is falling behind the EU average, with 819 days. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health reports that over 70% of newly authorised medicines in Lithuania have never had reimbursement applications submitted by pharmaceutical companies. It remains unclear why pharmaceutical companies are not submitting reimbursement applications in Lithuania. Lithuanian patients therefore have a reduced number of medicines available as well as prolonged waiting times.
Goal
The goal of the project is to identify how Lithuania can improve patient access to innovative medicines and, in doing so, strengthen its competitiveness within the EU.
Project progress
2025/10/24
Interviews with stakeholders
2025/12/12
Analysis of Lithuania’s current pharmaceutical landscape, covering national and EU regulatory frameworks and strategic policy directions related to drug lifecycle (manufacturing, authorisation, and reimbursement)
2026/01/13
Analyses of best foreign practices on two topics: on regulatory clarity and building an inclusive ecosystem and on the use of incentives in pricing and reimbursement
2026/01/13
Presentation to public sector representatives: best practices in applying incentive mechanisms
2026/02/02
Public consultation on proposed measures to strengthen regulatory clarity and build an inclusive ecosystem
2026/02/18
Public consultation on the proposed concepts for incentives to be used in pricing and reimbursement
2026/03/06
Proposing recommendations on actions to improve access to innovative medicines and ensuring the continuity of the project
