The Network of National Competent Authorities for Pricing and Reimbursement (NCAPR) is a voluntary European collaboration platform that brings together national authorities responsible for the pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products. Its purpose is to strengthen cooperation, promote mutual learning, and support coordinated approaches to ensure timely, equitable and sustainable access to medicines across the EU and EEA.
NCAPR operates as a strategic forum where Member States exchange expertise, identify shared challenges, and discuss policy priorities related to affordability, uncertainty management, transparency, procurement models, and innovative payment mechanisms. While not a legal entity, the network provides an essential space for aligning perspectives and building common positions on high level issues that affect all health systems. Decisions made within NCAPR are not binding and do not replace national competences, but they help shape a coherent European approach to complex pharmaceutical policy questions.
Over recent years, NCAPR has evolved from an ad hoc discussion group into a more structured and continuous form of voluntary cooperation, reflecting the growing need for coordinated responses to rising medicine prices, increasing clinical uncertainty, and financial pressure on national healthcare budgets. The network’s strategic vision is to act as a trusted interlocutor for EU institutions, a reference group for P&R expertise, and a catalyst for advancing shared solutions among Member States.
To operationalise its mission, NCAPR has identified a set of priority areas, including:
•    improving efficiency and affordability to support health system sustainability,
•    strengthening transparency in costing and pricing principles,
•    developing innovative payment, procurement and reimbursement models, and
•    enhancing collaboration among stakeholders across the entire lifecycle of medicinal products.
NCAPR is guided by a Management Group, responsible for governance, strategic planning, and monitoring priority actions. It engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including EU bodies, health technology assessment organisations, patient associations and clinical experts, always ensuring alignment with national responsibilities and European frameworks.
CAPRICORD is fully aligned with NCAPR’s vision and priorities. The Joint Action provides the technical capacity, methods and collaborative tools required to help the network move from experience sharing to practical implementation, supporting Member States as they address affordability, uncertainty and equity in access to m.