High Cost Drugs – Republic of Ireland

Introduction

Paperless Solution - For Hospitals AND GP Practices

Blueteq is fully configurable to reflect HSE Drugs Group reimbursement decisions — the same way it reflects NICE decisions in England and SMC decisions in Scotland. Ireland's 30+ Managed Access Protocols (MAPs) are each currently hosted on bespoke, separately built online portals. Blueteq provides a single national platform that can host any MAP — so that when a new medicine is approved, the governance infrastructure is already there, not something that has to be built from scratch.

Request History & Document Storage

The Blueteq HCD system provides a complete patient history storing and displaying all information and documentation in one place in a paperless environment. For Ireland, this means patient-level data linking demographics, diagnosis, medication, and expenditure — data the HSE currently struggles to produce systematically.

Customised Reporting for the HSE

A full range of reports are available on demand. The HSE CPU and HSE Medicines Management Programme gain real-time oversight of which medicines are in use, for which patients, against which MAP criteria, and at what cost — across all hospitals, in a single dashboard.

Without Blueteq

617 days from EMA approval to patient access — an IPHA survey found the average is 617 days, nearly four times the statutory 180-day target; Blueteq addresses the final phase of this delay, between the reimbursement decision and the first patient treated.

No national governance system for post-approval prescribing — once the HSE makes a reimbursement decision, there is no national system ensuring medicines reach the right patients consistently and on record.

Each new MAP requires a bespoke IT build — the MMP must build a new online portal for each new medicine; with 30+ MAPs and a growing pipeline, this approach is becoming unsustainable.

Real-world evidence difficult to generate — without a structured system, the data needed to support future NCPE assessments and commercial negotiations is not being collected systematically.

For Commissioners / Stakeholders

For Hospitals / Providers

"A year can make a big difference in a patient's life."

€3.3bn

Annual HSE medicines spend

617 days

Average EMA to patient access

30+

Managed Access Protocols

180 days

Statutory access target

WHY CHOOSE US

Unique Benefits Summary: High Cost Drugs - Republic of Ireland

Employee-Owned. Independently Governed.

Blueteq is an employee-owned company headquartered in Havant, Hampshire. There are no external shareholders, no parent company with questionable other businesses, and no venture capital or private equity interests.

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NCPE Director Questions Value of Early Access Proposals

In a separate RTÉ interview broadcast 21 June 2026, NCPE Director Professor Michael Barry questioned proposals for earlier access to new medicines ahead of full reimbursement assessment. He noted that for several rare disease drugs assessed this year, none had demonstrated an overall survival benefit, and argued that early access without a negotiated price reduction […]

Minister Signs Off End-to-End Review of Drug Approval System

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill announced on RTÉ’s Prime Time, broadcast 11 June 2026, that she has signed off the tender for an end-to-end review of Ireland’s system for approving access to and funding for new drugs and medical treatments. The Minister said she approved the tender details the previous week and that the […]

617-DAY ACCESS GAP — BLUETEQ CLOSES THE FINAL PHASE

New market opportunity for HSE: a single national platform for all Managed Access Protocols.

EU HTA Milestone — First Joint Clinical Assessment

The NCPE published on 4 May 2026 that the HTA Coordination Group approved the first-ever Joint Clinical Assessment report under the EU HTA Regulation. The NCPE Ireland acted as lead assessor, working with IQWiG Germany as co-assessor. The assessment covered tovorafenib (Ojemda®), an anticancer medicine for paediatric low-grade glioma. The report has been forwarded to […]

New Framework Agreement — FASPM 2026–2029

A new pricing and reimbursement Framework Agreement (FASPM) between the HSE and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) came into effect in 2026. Key provisions include a commitment to a 180-day new medicines review, a new declining rebate structure (beginning at 9% for medicines added in 2026), new biosimilar rules, and a requirement for suppliers […]

New Framework Agreement on Supply and Pricing of Medicines (FASPM) 2026–2029

A new Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines between the HSE and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) took effect from 1 January 2026 and runs to 31 December 2029. Key provisions include: Horizon scanning: pharmaceutical companies must notify the HSE of new medicines 12–18 months in advance of expected launch. Rebate […]

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