The dean of the Order of Pharmacists (OF), Helder Mota Filipe, attended the conference "The MFN Effect: Europe, USA, and the Future of Health in Portugal", organized by AmCham Portugal at the Sheraton Lisboa Hotel. The event convened more than 60 representatives from the business and health sectors to debate the implications of the Most Favored Nation (MFN) model on access to innovation, the sustainability of healthcare systems, and European and Portuguese competitiveness.
The MFN model, associated with the United States' drug pricing policy, aims to align drug prices in that country with the lowest values recorded in comparable developed nations. Its implementation could affect marketing and launch strategies for medicines, posing new challenges for European healthcare systems, particularly regarding access to therapeutic innovation.
Helder Mota Filipe participated in the panel "Perspectives on MFN and Pharmaceutical Policy", alongside Francisca Paulouro (Vieira de Almeida) and Nathalie Cardinal von Widder (AstraZeneca Portugal), moderated by Filipa Mota e Costa (Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine).
In his address, the dean highlighted the importance of evaluating medicines beyond their direct cost, considering health gains, patient quality of life, and economic and social benefits.
He also emphasized the role of Health Technology Assessment, particularly the significance of the National System for Health Technology Assessment (SiNATS). Mota Filipe stressed the need to make evaluation and funding processes faster, more predictable, and evidence-based, balancing innovation access with the sustainability of the National Health Service (SNS).
The conference also featured a presentation by Pedro Pita Barros, from NOVA School of Business and Economics, on the long-term effects of MFN policies. Participants also included Paulo Teixeira, president of the Health & Biotechnology Committee of AmCham Portugal and head of Pfizer Portugal.
Representatives from various political parties, including Mário Amorim Lopes (IL), Miguel Guimarães (PSD), Pedro Frazão (CHEGA), and Sofia Andrade (PS), also spoke, contributing to a broader reflection on the challenges of pharmaceutical policy and the future of healthcare in Portugal.
