Patients will also have access to new medicines up to 6
months earlier.
The government and the Association of the British
Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)
have reached a final agreement in the voluntary
scheme for branded medicines pricing and access,
which will begin on 1 January 2019 and last for 5
years.
In 2019, the following savings are predicted for the
NHS medicines bill:
- England: £744 million
- Scotland: £93 million
- Wales: £56 million
- Northern Ireland: £37 million
The scheme is designed to keep growth in the branded
medicine bill predictable and affordable by placing a
2% cap on the growth in sales of branded medicines to
the NHS.
Pharmaceutical companies will repay the NHS for
spending above the 2% cap.
Other measures to keep the cost of medicines affordable
to the NHS include simplifying price controls, and
faster and more flexible commercial discussions between
the NHS and pharmaceutical companies.
The scheme will see the newest and best-value medicines
made available to patients on the NHS more quickly
through:
- earlier identification of the most promising
medicines being developed
- earlier commercial discussions with industry
- faster assessments of the clinical and
cost-effectiveness of new medicines by the National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
The agreement is also designed to ensure the UK remains
an attractive hub for the life sciences sector, part
of the government’s
Industrial Strategy.
Health Minister Lord O’Shaughnessy said:
The final deal is great news for patients and the NHS
– the best and most affordable medicines will be
available up to 6 months earlier and we will save
almost a billion pounds next year which can be put
back into other crucial services.
It is a vote of confidence in our world-leading life
sciences sector and outlines our commitment to
support small and medium-sized business to bring
their innovative treatments to the NHS.
Mike Thompson, Chief Executive of the ABPI,
said:
It’s great that the full agreement is now confirmed –
it is a commitment by the government and the NHS to
work with us to support innovation for the benefit of
patients. This means that people across the UK should
see better and faster access to the most effective
new medicines and vaccines.
Under the scheme the NHS will have absolute certainty
that the sales of branded medicines will not grow by
more than 2% in any of the next 5 years – or industry
refunds the money. This is a significant contribution
by pharmaceutical companies to support the NHS.
