According to the law, the Ministry of Health has to decide on the inclusion of an innovative treatment in the categorisation list within 180 days of receipt of a complete application. However, the whole process of an innovative medicine entering our market can take up to a year. Our colleague, attorney Peter Marenčák, explains why this is so in an interview.

How can Slovak patients get access to reimbursed innovative medicines?

The key is that such medicines must go through a categorisation process and be included in the list of categorised medicines, which includes medicines covered by public health insurance. If a medicine is not categorised, the patient is in principle not legally entitled to have it reimbursed by the health insurer. The Ministry of Health conducts the procedure for categorisation of a medicinal product, which can only be initiated at the proposal of a pharmaceutical company. The Ministry cannot act or decide on the classification of a medicinal product until a proposal has been submitted.