Combining health technology assessment and health technology management to deliver cost-effective prescribing and cost containment - the Irish experience.

INTRODUCTION: Health technology assessment (HTA) is a widely used process to systematically evaluate the properties, effects, and impacts of health technology, with the main purpose of informing policymaking in healthcare. However, to ensure optimal use of scarce healthcare budgets, there is a need to look beyond HTA - to post-reimbursement health technology management (HTM).

AREAS COVERED: This review aims to describe the significant impact HTA, in combination with HTM, has made to the cost-effective prescribing and cost-containment in Ireland. This review will cover a number of specific examples, such as; specific reimbursement criteria for sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto®) and evolocumab (Repatha®), the introduction of a reimbursement application system for lidocaine 5% medicated plaster (Versatis®), and the introduction of 'preferred' biosimilars for patent-expired biologic medicines.

EXPERT OPINION: Healthcare payers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of HTM particularly when used in conjunction with HTA. This review highlights several examples whereby significant cost-savings can be made through HTM of not only new drugs but also drugs which are already available on the market.