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The Government needs to develop a single, clear, national policy on the part played by pharmaceuticals in the National Health Service and the economy as a whole, according to researchers from Liverpool and Birmingham. | They say that a national policy is needed to resolve conflicts which have arisen as a result of the introduction of new drugs such as Viagra (sildenafil) and the work of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. There is also the problem that the Government acts as both the regulator of the pharmaceutical industry and its products and as its supporter and largest customer. Pharmaceutical policy is balkanised, reasearchers say |
Any national policy should seek to support the introduction of effective and safe medicines that are readily accessible at an affordable price while supporting a stable pharmaceutical industry and promoting research in areas of unmet need, the researchers say. Firm guidance would avoid legal challenges which undermine confidence in the present system.
One suggestion the authors make is that the Government should agree national funding to allow full implementation of any recommendations made by the NICE without compromising locally agreed priorities. This would allow a more controlled introduction of new medicines. They say that this could be paid for by either a reference pricing scheme (similar to the maximum pricing scheme introduced for generics) or by allowing generic substitution by pharmacists.
Other areas which the policy would need to address are improving the quality of prescribing, greater assessment of medicines for cost-effectiveness, clearer guidance on introducing new medicines to the NHS, reviewing prescription charges to avoid inequity in access to medicines, and maintaining a stable environment for pharmaceutical research and manufacturing.