Drug Policy in Estonia

The aim of this article was to present a general overview of the health care system as well as pricing and reimbursement environment in Estonia. In Estonia the main stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector are the Ministry of Social Affairs, the State Agency of Medicine, and the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. The national health insurance scheme is public, and approximately 95% of the population is covered by it. It is a social insurance, and universal and equal access to health care based on national health insurance is granted. The Estonian Health Insurance Fund is financed from social taxes and state budget and is responsible for the reimbursement of pharmaceuticals in the hospital setting. It acts as an advisory body to the Ministry of Social Affairs on the process of reimbursement regarding cost effectiveness. Pharmaceutical products' reimbursement dossiers submission and decisions are dealt with on the state level. Health technology assessment analyses are required by the authorities and the Baltic Guidelines for Economic Evaluations of Pharmaceuticals have to be followed. The reimbursement lists are positive lists only, and the criteria upon which reimbursement decisions are based are officially defined. Revisions of reimbursement are performed depending on the need and they are based on the prices of reference countries.