The financial burden of providing healthcare and the rising cost of the most innovative medicines have pressured government healthcare budgets and highlight the need for payers to operate under a disciplined financial framework. The use of health technology assessment (HTA) is one of the main ways that payers can adopt a system for efficiently allocating their scarce financial resources and provide a framework for the rational use of expensive drugs. The implementation of HTA practices and policies is increasing around the world as more countries grapple with the issue of providing healthcare to a growing number of their citizens. This need is particularly acute in many emerging markets, where access to innovative, branded medicines is limited among the broader population.
Although certain lessons can be applied from recent experiences in the established markets, there are also many unique barriers in the emerging markets that have hampered the full implementation of HTA. The focus of this report will be on recent HTA developments and their implications in several of the major emerging markets in Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East, as we apply some lessons learned from the pioneers in this field.