Productive Development Partnerships: an essay on the construction of strategic product lists

ABSTRACT This is an essay on the construction of strategic product lists for the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) eligible for the submission of proposals for Productive Development Partnerships (PDP). The objective of this study was to critically analyze the process of constructing these lists, reviewing the criteria used, the interaction currently existing with the evaluation of health technologies, the collaboration between decision makers and researchers or reference institutions, and the influence of the composition of the list on the outcome of the projects and reach of the objectives of the initiative. It was found that the use of scientific evidence and collaborative actions of researchers are reduced in decision making, and that the composition of the list has a great influence on the outcome of the PDP, and its construction is a key factor for the success of this initiative and the internalization of technologies. A suggestion for organizing the list-making work is the regimental definition of the use of an independent rapid response program organized between the government, the academy, and institutions involved in PDP approvals, so that the best scientific evidence is available to policy decision makers in the short term.