Social Security Institution announcement on procurement of pharmaceuticals from abroad
Dicle Doğan and Can Tabak, Gün + Partners
On 29 June 2018, the General Directorate of General Health Insurance of the Social Security Institution (SSI) published an announcement (Turkish language) on the Procurement of Pharmaceuticals from Abroad by Ibn-i Sina Health and the Social Security Center.
The announcement stated that:
- Non-approved or unavailable pharmaceuticals, destined for a specific patient are reimbursed by the SSI itself and such pharmaceuticals are supplied by: (i) the Turkish Pharmacists’ Association (TEB) within the scope of the Protocol between TEB and SSI; and (ii) Ibn-i Sina Health and the Social Security Center as per the “Guidelines on the Supply from Abroad and the Use of Pharmaceuticals”.
- The prices for all reimbursed pharmaceuticals supplied from abroad are published in the “Price List for Pharmaceuticals Supplied from Abroad” (ANNEX-4/C), which is the Annex of the Health Implementation Communiqué. The ones that are supplied only by Ibn-i Sina Health and Social Security Center are indicated by asterisk under ANNEX-4/C.
- All offers for the supply of listed pharmaceuticals or their generics from authorised firms and pharmaceutical warehouses shall be made to the SSI on condition that the prices do not exceed the prices listed in ANNEX-4/C. There is no guidance, however, on which firms are “authorised” and from which authority firms can obtain such authorisation.