Senior health leaders, clinicians, patient advocates and industry experts to convene in Dublin on 30 April

Patient Access in Ireland: From Commitment to Delivery

AXIS Reimbursement will host its Patient Access in Ireland: From Commitment to Delivery conference on Thursday, 30 April 2026 at the RDS Concert Hall, Dublin, bringing together key stakeholders from across the Irish healthcare system to examine the practical realities of improving access to medicines in Ireland.

Building on the success of the inaugural 2023 event, this year’s conference comes at a pivotal moment following the publication of a new stakeholder agreement between IPHA and the Irish State, including a commitment to a 180-day reimbursement decision timeline. Against this backdrop, the conference will explore what effective implementation could look like over the next two to three years, and what it will require from payers, regulators, clinicians, patient organisations and industry.

The event will focus on the strategic and operational issues that shape access to medicines in Ireland, with discussions centred on how commitments can translate into meaningful delivery for patients.

The programme will feature keynote presentations and two expert panel discussions. The first panel will examine the access journey for oncology medicines, while the second will explore the challenges and opportunities in accessing orphan medicinal products.

Speaking ahead of the event, Brenda Dooley, CEO, AXIS Reimbursement, said:

The conference will bring together an experienced and high-profile line-up of speakers and panellists, including:

• Prof. Michael Barry, Clinical Director, National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) and Clinical Lead for the HSE Medicines Management Programme
• Anne Willemsen, Chair of the HTA Coordination Group’s subgroup on Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) and Senior Advisor at Zorginstituut Nederland
• Linda Fitzharris, Head of the HSE’s Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit and Head of Pharmacy Function, HSE
• Ellen McGrath, Medicine Shortages & Borderline Classification Manager, HPRA
• Prof. Patrick Forde, Prendergast Professor of Immuno-Oncology at Trinity College Dublin, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St James’s Hospital Dublin, and Professor at Johns Hopkins University
• Caitriona Duggan, Vice President, IPHA, Chair of the Market Access Advisory Forum, and Country Director, Amgen Ireland
• Miriam Staunton, Co-founder and Chair of UCAN Ireland, Melanoma Support Ireland lead, and member of the Cancer Trials Ireland Patient & Carer Committee
• Declan Connolly, Country Lead, Biogen Ireland
• Dr Valerie Walshe, Senior Health Economist, HSE, and Adjunct Professor at University College Cork’s Cork University Business School and the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin
• Anne Marie O’Dowd, CEO, Alpha-1 Foundation Ireland and Cystinosis Ireland, and Chairperson of both Cystinosis Network Europe and the Worldwide Cystinosis Community Advisory Board

Topics under discussion will include medicine shortages, health technology assessment, reimbursement pathways, the implications of European Joint Clinical Assessment, the realities of implementation in Ireland, and the role of collaboration in improving timely patient access.

The event is expected to be of particular interest to hospital pharmacists, clinicians, medicines policy leaders, reimbursement specialists, healthcare managers, patient organisations and pharmaceutical professionals involved in market access, evidence generation and service planning.

The conference is a ticketed event, with an attendance fee of €195 ex VAT, payable in advance.

To attend, or to nominate a senior colleague, registrations can be made via the AXIS booking link. Early booking is advised as places are limited.

For further information, please contact:

Caroline McNeill
caroline@axisreimbursement.com