Delays to the approval of some cancer drugs, means doctors cannot prescribe the appropriate treatment for one-in-four patients. Oncologists say it relates to high-cost anti-cancer drugs, such as immuno-therapies.
At the moment, new drugs must go through an extensive HSE approval process once they're initially approved by the European Medicines Agency, which takes around two years.
Consultant and Secretary of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology, Michael McCarthy, says delays cannot continue.
"We're not talking about chemotherapies, we are specifically talking about high cost anti-cancer drugs," he explained. "The remaining challenges I think centres around the pace of change and innovation and also delays in the approval."
Dr McCarthy continued; "It takes on average two years from EMA approval to availability for cancer patients in Ireland compared to approximately one year in comparable countries. We need greater transparency with indicative timelines so patients and applicants can know exactly where a drug is in the reimbursement process.
"Also, improved resources of key organisations such as national cancer control programme and National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics which deliver the reimbursement process. It is very frustrating and it’s an ongoing frustration for not only oncologists, but cancer patients too."
