Icelandic Medicines Agency
Reimbursement
The Icelandic Medicines Agency (IMA) is responsible for determining the maximum wholesale and retail prices of prescription-only medicinal products and all veterinary medicinal products, and for decisions on the reimbursement of medicinal products.
IMA also classifies medicinal products as either specialty care high-cost medicines (SCHCM) or general medicinal products, and places comparable medicinal products in reference price groups. IMA is also responsible for publishing the Icelandic Medicine Price Catalogue. IMA's decisions in this area are published in the Icelandic Medicine Price Catalogue and in lists on IMA's website. See further at the bottom of this page.
Reimbursement of specialty care high-cost medicines (SCHCM)
IMA decides whether a medicinal product is to be classified as a specialty care high-cost medicine (SCHCM) and whether reimbursement is approved for the medicinal product's indication, after obtaining an opinion from the Drug and Therapeutics Committee of Landspítali. Decisions on SCHCM and indications with approved reimbursement are published here. The Drug and Therapeutics Committee of Landspítali decides on individual reimbursement of SCHCM.
Guidelines, application forms and other useful material
Applications and forms for reimbursement
Classification of a medicinal product as a specialty care high-cost medicine (SCHCM)
Guidelines on reimbursement of specialty care high-cost medicines (SCHCM)
Indications with approved reimbursement – Landspítali medicines list
Reimbursement of general medicinal products
IMA decides, after consulting Icelandic Health Insurance, whether Icelandic Health Insurance will contribute to the cost of general medicinal products on the market in Iceland. General reimbursement is when Icelandic Health Insurance pays for a medicinal product in part or in full. Individual reimbursement is single or time-limited reimbursement for medicinal products that have not been granted general reimbursement. Individual reimbursement is granted through the issue of medicine certificates. A doctor may apply for individual reimbursement by applying to Icelandic Health Insurance for a medicine certificate for an individual, provided that the conditions set out in the working rules are met.
The working rules are available on the Icelandic Health Insurance website. Questions about medicine certificates should be directed to Icelandic Health Insurance, which is responsible for issuing them.
Guidelines, application forms and other useful material
Publication of decisions on pricing and reimbursement
An overview of the documents in which IMA's decisions on pricing and reimbursement are published. In most cases, this is the Icelandic Medicine Price Catalogue. It is published once a month as an Excel file and takes effect on the first day of each month.