Equity, barriers and cancer disparities: study of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology on the access to oncologic drugs in the Spanish Regions

The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) has conducted a study on the access to oncologic drugs across the 17 Spanish Regions with the aim of identifying potential heterogeneities and making proposals for eliminating the barriers identified at the different levels.

An Expert Panel made up of medical oncologists designed a survey on certain indications approved for 11 drugs in the approach of breast cancer, melanoma, lung cancer, prostate cancer and support treatment. This survey was sent to 144 National Health System (NHS) hospitals.

77 hospitals answered the survey. The information modules analysed were: scope of the Commission that establishes binding decisions related to drug access; conditions, stages and periods of drug application, approval and administration processes; barriers to accessing drugs.

The study shows variability in drug access. The SEOM makes proposals addressed to reducing the differences identified and homogenizing drug access conditions.

Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico. 2016 Aug 25 [Epub ahead of print]

J Salvador, J A Urtasun, F J B Duart, R García-Campelo, R G Carbonero, P Lianes, A Llombart, D I Casado, J M Piera, M M Mateu, J Puente, F Rivera, C A Rodríguez, J A Virizuela, M Martín, P Garrido

Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Valme, Sevilla, Spain. ., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe, Valencia, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago De Compostela, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Coruña, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital de Mataró, Mataró, Barcelona, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitàri Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic I Provincial, Barcelona, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Salamanca, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Regional Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain., Medical Oncology Department, IRYCIS, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.