Mandate and terms of reference
By signing a letter of intent, the ministers responsible for pharmaceutical policy in their countries have given a mandate to their national experts to participate in the activities of the Initiative.
The terms of reference form the outline of the Initiative and describe the conditions for collaboration. The terms of reference were adopted by all countries and have been in effect since March 1, 2017. New terms of reference were established when Ireland joined in June, 2018. They are publicly available: here.
Organization
The Initiative consists of a Steering Committee. It oversees the overall collaboration, aided by technical Domain Task Forces for each area of collaboration. The Steering Committee consists of representatives of each country, and is complemented by the Domain Task Force Leads.
One of the collaborating countries is appointed as chair and organizational coordinator for the Initiative, for a certain period of time. This role is currently fulfilled by Belgium.
Additionally, the leading country is assisted by national coordinators. They carry out the daily operations and prepare meetings, handle day-to-day issues and provide external communication.
Domain Task Forces consist of technical experts from participating countries and deal with:
- Horizon Scanning
- Health Technology Assessment
- Information sharing and policy exchange
- Pricing and Reimbursement.