Payers' Forum Europe

Oct 21, 2013 - Oct 22, 2013, Berlin, Germany

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ABPI Demands More NHS Data on New Medicine Uptake

The ABPI has called for the NHS to provide more data on the uptake and access to new medicines in the UK. This follows the second publication of the NHS’s ‘Innovation Scorecard,’ a measure of how quickly different NHS trusts are adopting the latest NICE-approved treatments and drugs.



The ABPI welcomed the inclusion of more data on the Scorecard, yet expressed the need for a more ‘comprehensive picture’ of the use of new medicines. They specifically called for future Scorecards to include data on “formulary publication and use of those NICE appraised medicines,” and to cover “more new medicines launched in the previous 0-5 years.”

The Innovation Scorecard was intended to reduce instances of ‘postcode prescribing,’ where patients in some areas of the country gain access to new medicines more quickly than others. Health Minister Paul Burstow said that “patients have a right to drugs and treatments that have been approved by NICE. This new regime will be a catalyst for change - we are determined to eradicate variation and drive up standards for everyone. NHS organisations must make sure the latest NICE-approved treatments are available in their area, and if they are not, then they will now be responsible for explaining why not.” He also stated that “being transparent with data like this is the hallmark of a 21st century NHS. It is a fundamental tool to help healthcare professionals improve patient care."

However, the ABPI still think there is progress to be made in dealing with variations on access to medicines in the UK: the organization said that it would like to see future Scorecards “develop new measures to highlight variations in medicine use across the country.” It also hoped to see the Scorecard “become more user friendly so members of the public can more readily use it.” The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), the organization which aids the NHS in producing the Scorecard, called for an awareness of the provisional nature of the data provided, pointing out that “ there is no central collection of data to directly support” what it said was an “experimental publication.” Instead it relied on “available data from a range of sources.”

Stephen Whitehead, Chief Executive of the ABPI, commented that “in future updates, including the next Scorecard set for publication in September, we want to see its depth and scope increase significantly. This is essential because if the Scorecard is to be a genuine driver of change, it must be comprehensive and detailed enough for people to make meaningful judgements about the state of innovation in the NHS.” He also said it was “important to remember that the Innovation Scorecard is one of a number of important policy tools that are in development to improve the uptake of new medicines. The wider Innovation, Health and Wealth (IHW) agenda, of which the Scorecard is a part, has seen great progress since it was first announced by Government 18 months ago,” adding that “it is essential now that the new healthcare system, which is operating in a very different environment under NHS England, remains focused on delivering IHW so that UK patients can access innovative treatments which they are too often denied.”



Payers' Forum Europe

Oct 21, 2013 - Oct 22, 2013, Berlin, Germany

Engage with NHS, HAS, G-BA, AIFA, Spain and more to understand what Payers and HTAs want to enable you to create Value Adding Propositions