Onkológia 1/2020

Access to oncology medicines in Slovakia from the patients view

This work aims to provide a brief overview of the availability of innovative cancer treatment in Slovakia from the perspective of the patient. It summarizes views of patients organized in civic associations Slovak Club of Patients after Hematopoietic Cells Transplantation, Amazon and Slovak Myeloma Society. All associations are jointly represented in the umbrella patient organization Association for the Protection of Patients‘ Rights. The expert guarantor of the work were experts from the Faculty of Medicine of the Slovak Medical University in Bratislava. Given the increasing number of patients and progress in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, there is increasing pressure on patients‘ access to new, modern methods of treatment and diagnosis. Patients, respectively their patient organizations consider it necessary to ensure proper access to innovative medicines and diagnostic procedures, to increase patient awareness of their disease, and to involve them in the decision-making process of their treatment. The patient should be involved in the processes to which he / she is concerned, know his / her rights, know what standard of care he / she is entitled to. The work analyses some aspects of the approach to the treatment of breast cancer, multiple myeloma and also discusses the specific issues of treatment exemptions granted by health insurance companies.

Keywords: oncology, innovative treatment, patient, breast cancer, myeloma, exceptions