Driving the future of value-based healthcare in the Gulf Cooperation Council: a roadmap for achieving sustainable access to specialty pharmaceuticals

Anas Hamad (), Ahmed Al-Jedai, Rita Ojeil, Abdulrazaq Al-Jazairi, Adel Alassy, Yazed Alruthia, Waiel Al Naeem, Hajer Almudaiheem, Mouza Alsaadi (), Nada Alagil, Lina Wahba, Abdulmohsin Marghalani, Amna Al Hashar, Abdullah Alshehry, Sana Alblooshi, Ibtisam Alharbi, Marleine Moukarzel, Sara Albalushi, Ahmed El-Sheashaey, Mohammed Aseeri, Farid Alenezy, Fathea Adheir, Abdulrahman Aloumi, Rehab Alnoaimi and Khalid Alnaqbi
Additional contact information
Anas Hamad: Hamad Medical Corporation [Doha, Qatar]
Ahmed Al-Jedai: College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Rita Ojeil: Life Sciences Solution, PDC-CRO, Dubai
Abdulrazaq Al-Jazairi: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Adel Alassy: Pharmaceuticals Supply Chain Management, M42 Health, Abu Dhabi
Yazed Alruthia: College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Waiel Al Naeem: Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Mouza Alsaadi: Dubai Health Authority (DHA), LIRAES (URP_ 4470) - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Recherche Appliquée en Economie de la Santé - UPCité - Université Paris Cité
Lina Wahba: مستشفى توام - Tawam Hospital [Al Ain, United Arab Emirates]
Abdulmohsin Marghalani: KFSH & RC - King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
Amna Al Hashar: Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Centre, Muscat, Oman.
Abdullah Alshehry: Pharmacy Services Administration, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sana Alblooshi: مستشفى توام - Tawam Hospital [Al Ain, United Arab Emirates]
Marleine Moukarzel: Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City [Abu-Dhabi]
Sara Albalushi: Ministry of Health [Muscat, Oman]
Mohammed Aseeri: KSAU-HS - King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences [Riyadh]
Fathea Adheir: Sidra Medicine [Doha, Qatar]
Abdulrahman Aloumi: Ministry of Health, Kuwait.

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Abstract: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are undergoing a critical transformation in their healthcare systems. This empowers them to address the rising burden of complex diseases, including rare diseases, cancer, neurological disorders, and immunological illnesses, which involve a high cost of therapy. A strategic shift from volume-to value-based healthcare (VBH) emphasizes sustainability, enhanced accessibility, and improved health outcomes through innovation. GCC's healthcare is marked by universal coverage and a shifting landscape of public-private partnerships. Rising pharmaceutical costs, especially for specialty drugs, continue to challenge budget sustainability. VBH offers a strategy to align healthcare expenditure with patient outcomes. This framework is supported by global and regional models such as managed entry agreements (MEAs), multi-criteria decision analysis, and real-world evidence (RWE). These models provide guidance for reimbursement strategies and support decision-making regarding high-value treatments. The GCC nations are also progressing towards policy discussion, but face challenges related to infrastructure, regulation, and workforce capacity. The Department of Health (DOH) in Abu Dhabi, which is a governmental health authority in the United Arab Emirates, has officially established a dedicated HTA unit to evaluate and assess new health technologies for evidence-informed decision making. This review highlights specialty care priorities and proposes target strategies such as expanding genetic databases, implementing screening programs, and establishing risk-sharing agreements to improve affordability, particularly for rare diseases. A consensus-driven phased roadmap for GCC-wide VBH adoption is recommended. This includes a focus on MEAs and patient-reported outcome measures, mid-term harmonization of health technology assessments (HTA) and RWE development as well as long-term establishment of digital ecosystems and value-based pricing platforms. Equitable and collaborative policies will be essential to achieving sustainable and inclusive healthcare systems across the GCC.

Keywords: Aseeri; Alenezy; El-Sheashaey; Albalushi; Moukarzel; Alharbi; Alblooshi; managed entry agreement AlShehry; consensus development; specialty drugs; value-based healthcare; Gulf Cooperation Council; Gulf Cooperation Council value-based healthcare specialty drugs consensus development managed entry agreement AlShehry Alblooshi Alharbi Moukarzel Albalushi El-Sheashaey Aseeri Alenezy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-11-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ara
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Published in Frontiers in Public Health, 2025, 13, ⟨10.3389/fpubh.2025.1667846⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05354531

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1667846

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