Some Dutch hospitals pay up to €2,800 more for same cancer drugs

Hospitals in the Netherlands are paying vastly different amounts for the same cancer medications, with some treatments costing more than 2,800 euros extra per patient, according to research by KWF and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) at Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (AvL).

The study, conducted in collaboration with sister organizations in eight other European countries, analyzed payments for 15 cancer drugs across 23 hospitals, including six in the Netherlands. To protect confidentiality agreements, researchers did not disclose which hospitals participated.

Abiraterone, a hormone therapy for men with metastatic prostate cancer, showed the largest discrepancy in the Netherlands. Lenalidomide treatments for an incurable form of bone marrow cancer also showed substantial price differences.

Comparing internationally, Dutch hospitals are in the middle range. Prices are lower than in France and Serbia but higher than in southern and northern Europe.

Professor Wim van Harten of NKI said many hospitals “have no clear insight into their negotiating position” and sometimes pay up to 22 percent more than average, believing they have secured a favorable deal. He added that confidentiality agreements on pricing contribute to the problem.

KWF director Dorine Manson described the situation as “unacceptable in a healthcare system based on solidarity” and said the issue stems from “a system in which entities handling public funds cannot accurately see what a fair price is.”

KWF and AvL called for a mechanism allowing hospitals to gain controlled visibility over the prices other institutions pay. “Only in this way can affordable and equitable cancer care remain possible in the future,” they said.

On Thursday, the Dutch House of Representatives voted in favor of “more transparency in price agreements between pharmaceutical companies and health insurers.”