The Polish Pharmacoeconomic Society was actively involved in the organization of the ISPOR Chapters Forums during 15^th ISPOR Annual European Congress. On 6^th November the discussion was held with the involvement of the representatives of the Polish and Russian ISPOR Chapters. The main topic was “HTA AND REIMBURSEMENT SYSTEMS IN RUSSIA AND POLAND: COMMON PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS”.

Due to differences in the healthcare systems between Russia and Poland and the new law on reimbursement having been recently implemented in Poland, the forum allowed for discussion about experience and challenges in both countries in reference to HTA and the reimbursement. The session was moderated by Professor Karina Jahnz-Rozyk the President of ISPOR Poland Regional Chapter and Professor Pavel Vorobiev the President of ISPOR Russia Regional Chapter.

The moderators and the speakers presented and discussed the use of HTA in Poland and Russia. They shared  their experience in relation to risk-sharing agreements.  Pricing of medicines and types of negotiations in their reimbursement systems were in the scope of the presentations as well. Special attention was paid to non-pharmaceutical technologies which criteria are needed to obtain reimbursement for a non-pharmaceutical technology, guidelines detailing the requirements and the use of HTA in the decision making process.

In December 2012 the Polish Pharmacoeconomical Society organized the 10th International Anniversary Conference of the Polish Pharmacoeconomic Society in Warsaw.

The main subject of the conference was "Pharmacoeconomics in Poland - summing up the decade". It was a unique opportunity to exchange experience with specialists from different countries participating in the event. Among others, the following plenary sessions took place: Ethical problems of financing orphan diseases  presented by Professor Tomasz Pasierski, Vaccination against influenza in Poland - a public health problem by Professor Lidia Brydak, Pharmacy as an element of the health care system in Poland by Doctor Wojciech Giermaziak and The need of phase IV studies in obstructive pulmonary disease as a source for real life data discussed by Professor Karina Jahnz-Różyk. One of the plenary sessions involved invited guests from France, Ukraine, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania allowing for experience exchange in reference to reimbursement systems, the use of HTA  and the need for real world data. There were three educational workshops dedicated to a network analysis as a tool for the synthesis of existing clinical data, to Real Life Information based MCDA and to the registries of medical data in terms of planning, implementation and analysis.

During the Conference, all the Pharmacoeconomics Society Sections presented their detailed annual reports and main activities in 2012:

• Epidemiology and Cost of Disease Section organized a debate on technical capabilities, limitations and procedures for accessing cost data collected by public authorities.
• Health Technology Assessment Section presented their report from the HTA guidelines revision and Professor Jacek Spławiński discussed the problem of an off-label use of the drugs in Poland.
• The Health Related Quality of Life Section (HRQoL) presented the report of activities. Work on a dictionary of quality of life and utility related terms will be continued in 2013. The implemented methodology for the dictionary preparation was presented by Doctor Monika Szkultecka-Dębek. Doctor Dominik Golicki presented new trends in quality of life and health states utilities’ studies.
• The Therapeutic Programs and Pharmaceutical Care Section (TPPC) changed the name due to broadened scope of areas of interest. The new name of the Section is Therapeutic Programs, Pharmaceutical Care and Pharmaceutical Law Section (TPPCPL).

The annual report was presented by Doctor Mariola Drozd. Doctor Magdalena Rdzanek presented the approach to financing of pharmaceutical care across the world.

After the Conference, the elections of the  new Board were held at the General Meeting of the Polish Pharmacoeconomical Society.

The new Board will be in place for the period December 2012 - December 2016 and consists of:

• Doctor Joanna Lis - President
• Professor Karina Jahnz-Różyk – Subsiding President
• Doctor Maciej Niewada – President elect
• Anna Zawada - Secretary
• Professor Witold Owczarek- Treasurer
• Professor Marcin Czech – Board Member

2013 started very actively at the Society.

The Therapeutic Programs and Pharmaceutical Care section (TPPCPL) finalized the work on biosimilar products reimbursement regulations review in different countries and started working on costs assessment of the adverse events which could potentially be observed during treatment with products used in the Drug Programs. The methodology and best approach were agreed and the first phase of the project has already been finished. The project will continue throughout the whole 2013 and is focused on adverse events identified within the Programs grouped by disease areas.

The Health Related Quality of Life Section independently of working on the dictionary of QoL terminology, organized in March the first Educational Session about quality of life, called “Wiosenne Spotkanie Edukacyjne Sekcji Jakości Życia Polskiego Towarzystwa Farmakoekonomicznego” (Spring educational meeting of the Quality of Life Section of Polish Pharmacoeconomic Society).

An expert on quality of life from Poland, Doctor Joanna Mazur familiarized the meeting participants with the DISABKIDS questionnaire sharing the knowledge and experience from translation of the questionnaire into Polish. The discussion was around methodology of translation process, difficulties and availability of the questionnaire. Doctor Monika Szkultecka-Dębek explained and clarified the differences between quality of life and utilities and she also presented the methods to calculate utilities and their possible practical use. Doctor Patrycja Grabowska presented the questionnaires used in pulmonary diseases and Doctor Dominik Golicki brought the practical aspects of using different EQ5D questionnaires closer to the participants. Also the results of the Master’s thesis of Jan Sieluk related to the use of QoL questionnaires in cardiology were presented.

Due to the very warm welcome of the session the HRQoL section will consider the organization of the next educational session in autumn 2013.