Kati Sarnola

Presentation

I am a senior researcher at Kela’s Research Unit. In particular, I conduct research on pharmaceutical policy and pharmacoeconomics, but also on health policy more broadly. Recently, my research topics have included the evidence, use and uptake of new medicines, the costs and effectiveness of medicines, the life cycle and markets of medicines, the availability of medicines and medicine shortages, and the health and working capacity of the population. My work also includes a wide range of expert tasks related to pharmaceutical and health policy and economics. In addition, I act as one of Kela's contact person for international affairs in research.

Expertise

• health economics
• reimbursements for medicine expenses
• medicine expenses
• rational pharmacotherapy
• availability of medicines
• pharmaceutical policy and health policy
• research on medicine life cycles

Ongoing research projects

• New Outpatient Cancer Medicines: Reimbursement and Uptake
• Medicines and the Pharmaceutical Sector in a Changing Environment
• Expensive Drugs Reimbursed by Health Insurance in Outpatient Pharmacies: Effects of Pharmaceutical Policy Changes on the Retail Distribution of Medicines
• The Extensions of Indications as Part of Cancer Medicines’ Life Cycle
• Finnish Statistics on Medicines

Previous research projects

• Medicine Shortages
• Assessing and Forecasting Morbidity in Adult Population Using the National Health Index

Publications

• Roitto HM, Lindell E, Koskinen S, Sarnola K, Koponen P, Ngandu T: Diagnosoitujen muistisairauksien ilmaantuvuus ja esiintyvyys Suomessa vuosina 2016–2021. Lääketieteellinen Aikakauskirja Duodecim 2024;140(5):411-9, https://www.duodecimlehti.fi/lehti/2024/5/duo18137 
• Pesonen H, Kylmä J, Onnela K, Sarnola K: Harvinaissairautta sairastavien kokemuksia lääkehoidostaan Suomessa: haastattelututkimus. DOSIS 4(39): 422-437, 2023.
• Sarnola K, Koskinen H, Klintrup K, Astrup C, Kurko T: Uptake and availability of outpatient care cancer medicines authorized in 2010-2021 in Nordic countries – Survey for competent authorities. BMC Health Services Research 23, 1437 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10421-x 
• Meijboom RW, Barbier L, Druedahl LC, Sarnola K, Tolonen HM, Gardarsdottir H, Egberts TCG, Giezen TJ: Recommendations on TNFα inhibitor biosimilar use in clinical practice: a comparison of European gastroenterology IBD guidance. Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy 1-17, 2023. DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2023.2189008 
• Sarnola K, Kari H, Koskinen H: Medicine shortages: Product life cycle phases and characteristics of medicines in short supply – a register study. Frontiers in Pharmacology 13:943249, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.943249
• Kari H, Rättö HK, Sarnola K, Jormanainen V, Koskinen H: Väestön ikääntyminen haastaa terveydenhuoltoa myös lääkehoidon toteuttamisessa. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 5-6/2022. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2022112366609
• Kurko T, Koskinen H, Sarnola K: Uusien syöpälääkkeiden kliiniseen näyttöön liittyy epävarmuutta – tutkimusten lukutaito korostuu lääkärin työssä. Lääkärilehti 32(77):1272-74, 2022
• Kaunisto S, Siitonen P, Kauppinen H, Sarnola K: Pharmacists’ perceptions about knowledge of biologic medicines and their interchangeability and pharmacist-led substitution – A pilot survey of Finnish community pharmacists. DOSIS 38:74-101, 2022
• Arnet I, Verbeek M, Almarsdóttir AB, Barbier L, Clifford R, Eickhoff C, Hersberger K, Huys I, Lee K, Saramunee K, Schultz M, Zgarrick D, Sarnola K: Community pharmacists' preparedness for substituting biologics and dispensing biosimilars – Lessons learned from a multinational survey. Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy 2021;4:100084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2021.100084
• Sarnola K, Jauhonen HM: Biosimilaarien käyttöönotto. Lääketieteellinen Aikakauskirja Duodecim 2020;136(2):193-8
• Sarnola K, Merikoski M, Jyrkkä J, Hämeen-Anttila K: Physicians’ perceptions of the uptake of biosimilars: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2020;10:e034183. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034183
• Sarnola K, Linnolahti J: A regulatory perspective on the availability of medicines and medicine shortages in outpatient care: case Finland. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy 2019;41(4):825–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-019-00850-2
• Siirola V, Merikoski M, Vainio K, Sarnola K, Hämeen-Anttila K: Diabeetikoiden näkemyksiä ja tiedontarpeita biosimilaari-insuliineista / Patients' perceptions and their need for information about biosimilar insulins in Finland. DOSIS 2019;35(1): 42-56. 
• Sarnola K, Kurttila M, Naaranlahti T, Saano S, Kantanen H: Adapting to Technological Change – Employees’ Experiences on the Uptake of Automated Dispensing Cabinets in Kuopio University Hospital. DOSIS 2019;35(4):338-53
• Sarnola K: Lääkkeiden saatavuus ja saavutettavuus – lääkkeiden saatavuusongelmat Suomessa ja harvinaislääkkeiden saavutettavuus Euroopassa. DOSIS 2018;34(4):304-15
• Sarnola K, Ahonen R, Martikainen JE, Timonen J: Policies and availability of orphan medicines in outpatient care in 24 European countries. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2018;74(6):895-902. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-018-2457-x
• Heiskanen K, Ahonen R, Kanerva R, Karttunen P, Timonen J: The reasons behind medicine shortages from the perspective of pharmaceutical companies and pharmaceutical wholesalers in Finland. PLoS One 2017;12(6):e0179479. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179479
• Heiskanen K, Ahonen R, Karttunen P, Kanerva R, Timonen J: Medicine shortages – A study of community pharmacies in Finland. Health Policy 2015;119(2):232-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2014.11.001