Words by Jade Williams
The King’s Fund has released an updated explainer on the availability of new medicines in the UK’s NHS, commissioned by the ABPI.
The report provides a comprehensive overview of the complex landscape currently determining how and when patients in England can access new treatments.
The explainer outlines how policy must strike a balance between respecting strained health budgets and maintaining financial sustainability for the NHS, while providing patients with fast access to new therapies, incentivising pharmaceutical innovation and supporting the UK’s ambition to be a global hub for life sciences.
The report offers a valuable guide to the key mechanisms of market access in England. It covers drug development and clinical testing, the process by which NICE decides whether a drug is cost-effective and the process of negotiations between the NHS and manufacturers regarding pricing.
The explainer also examines trends in NHS expenditure on new medicines, government strategies for managing these costs and real-world uptake new of medicines across the healthcare system.
According to the release: “The extraordinary opportunities presented by new and innovative (but sometimes costly) medicines alongside the pressures facing health systems everywhere mean this balancing act looks set to become ever more complex.”
The full explainer is available on The King’s Fund website: Access To New Medicines In The English NHS | The King’s Fund
