Scots to cut postcode prescribing
A strengthened role for the Scottish Medicines Consortium should reduce postcode prescribing in Scotland, it was announced last week.
The SMC was set up in 2002 to provide an authoritative source of advice
about the effectiveness of new drugs. From next spring, it will classify
them into two categories: unique drugs for specific conditions and drugs
for conditions where drugs with the same clinical properties already
exist.
Under the new arrangements, an agreed national programme will be introduced
for unique drugs so that, once the SMC has given a drug its approval,
every health board will be required to make these drugs available at
the same time across Scotland. This will normally be within three months.
For new drugs falling into the other category — where alternatives
exist — it will be up to individual health boards to make decisions
based on local need.
Scottish Executive health minister, Malcolm Chisholm, said: “Public
concern has rightly been over novel treatments for which there are no
alternatives available. There will be an obligation on boards to make
such drugs available once approved by the SMC.”
Alongside the new requirement, a system to provide up to 12 months’ advance
warning of innovative drugs that are in the pipeline will be introduced.
The SMC currently has representatives from drug and therapeutic committees
on all 15 health boards in Scotland. From next year, there will also
be greater representation of health board chief executives and finance
directors. |
