The ESMO International Consortium Study on the availability, out-of-pocket costs and accessibility of antineoplastic medicines in countries outside of Europe was published in Annals of Oncology in September 2017.
Study objectives
- To provide national health authorities with data on the availability of licensed anti-neoplastic medicines across Europe so that they can decide how to best resolve the challenges identified
- To report on the actual availability of anti-neoplastic medicines to patients when they are prescribed and when patients can afford them
- To map the international situation, particularly in view of recent medicines shortages of some common, affordable, medically necessary anti-cancer medicines
Study results
The ESMO study mapped the international variation on the out-of-pocket costs and availability of cancer medicines in particularly in view of recent medicines shortages of some common, affordable, medically necessary anti-cancer medicines, including those on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. In addition, it revealed that limited national resources pose a formidable barrier to expensive, innovative medicines which can provide gains in non-curative settings.
International presentations
Find out about the international presentations of this study here.
Coordinating partners
This ESMO was conducted under the auspices of the ESMO Global Policy Committee in collaboration with the:
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) - liaising with the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP)
- Kings College London Institute of Cancer Policy
- Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)
Collaborating partners
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
- Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO)
- Indian Society for Medical & Pediatric Oncology (ISMPO)
- Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO)
- Korean Society of Medical Oncology (KSMO)
- Myanmar Oncology Society (MOS)
- Medical Oncology Group of Australia Incorporated (MOGA)
- Medical Oncology Society of Peru (SPOM - Sociedad Peruana de Oncologia Médica)
- Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC)