Affordable care
Program for Transformation Deal on Expensive Drugs
Together with other UMCs in the Netherlands, UMC Utrecht is taking part in the countrywide NFU program to achieve savings on the prescription of expensive drugs. Think for example of remedies for atopic eczema or leukemia, or immune therapy for various types of cancer. Through dialog with patients and based on research, medical specialists will determine in this program whether a lower dosage can be prescribed and/or whether longer intervals can be allowed between applications. They may also opt for a less expensive drug or more effective combinations.
The results of the program are positive, both for patients and financially. Lower dosages or longer application intervals often cause less discomfort for patients, while the same of sometimes even better treatment results can be achieved. The best care does not always have to be the most expensive. In 2022, UMC Utrecht was the coordinator for new treatment protocols for atopic eczema and hemophilia. The total savings in 2022 by all seven UMCs together amounted to approximately € 20 million. Since the new protocols were followed only for part of 2022, even more savings will be made in the coming years.
We shall also continue to investigate in the coming years whether further savings can be made on the prescription and administering of expensive drugs. In this way we contribute actively to curbing the high annual cost of healthcare in the Netherlands.
