PSPHP President Dr. Michael Caampued shared Philippine HTA practices at ISHTA 2025, emphasizing the need for stronger procurement frameworks to ensure affordable healthcare.
NEW DELHI, INDIA – The Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians (PSPHP) made a mark on the stage of India's International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (HTA): ISHTA 2025, from March 8-9, 2025. With the theme “Bridging Evidence to Policy: Health Technology Assessment for Affordable Healthcare,” the symposium brought together leading experts from around the world to discuss the critical role of HTA in shaping healthcare policy.
Dr. Michael Caampued, president of the PSPHP, represented the Philippines and contributed valuable insights to the panel discussion on the first day of the symposium, focusing on the topic “Supporting value-based pricing and procurement of drugs through HTA.” His participation underscored the PSPHP’s commitment to advancing evidence-based healthcare practices on an international platform.
The panel, featuring prominent figures in India's public health sector, was chaired by Smt. Anu Nagar, Joint Secretary of the Department of Health Research in India. Prof. Shankar Prinja, former Executive Director of the National Health Authority of India and current professor of Health Economics at the Post-graduate Institute for Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, and Dr. Abha Mehndiratta served as moderators and resource speakers. Additional panelists included Dr. Pankaj Kumar Arora, Director of Health Financing and Technology Assessment at the National Health Authority, and Dr. Grace Achungura, Health Financing Technical Officer of WHO-India.
Dr. Caampued shared the Philippine experience in utilizing HTA for value-based pricing initiatives, highlighting how HTA informs the inclusion of drugs in the Philippine National Formulary (PNF). He further explained how the PNF is integrated with the country’s Drug Price Referencing Index to guide drug procurement.
"It was an honor to contribute to such a vital discussion alongside esteemed colleagues," stated Dr. Caampued. "We emphasized the importance of ensuring that HTA translates into tangible improvements in drug procurement within the DOH, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and LGUs.”
A key message from Dr. Caampued’s presentation was the necessity of strengthening or aligning the administrative and legal frameworks of the Philippine procurement process. This alignment is crucial to ensure that drugs with value-based recommendations are effectively procured, thereby enhancing the affordability and accessibility of essential medicines.
The PSPHP’s participation in ISHTA 2025 highlights the organization’s dedication to fostering international collaboration and advancing public health practices. By sharing its expertise and learning from global counterparts, the PSPHP is playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare in the Philippines and beyond.