Advance information helps NHS manage new medicines
Provision of high-quality information about forthcoming medicines will help NHS staff manage the introduction of new medicines more effectively, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Furthermore, such information should encourage the uptake of innovative therapies, said Martin Anderson, director of commercial affairs at the ABPI.
Mr Anderson was commenting on two recent initiatives by the National
Prescribing Centre that are designed to provide timely information to
decision makers working within the NHS.
Since January this year, the NPC, in partnership with Wessex Drug and
Medicines Information Centre and Newcastle Drug and Therapeutics Centre,
has published two regular bulletins about emerging therapies. “Future
medicines” gives details of some of the most significant new medicines
around six months before they are launched and “Rapid review” provides
relevant additional information on these medicines, within two months
of launch.
The bulletins are being sent to primary care and care trust prescribing
advisers, NHS trust chief pharmacists and regional medicines information
centres, along with other key NHS decision makers.
Clive Jackson, chief executive of the NPC, said: “By building on
existing working relationships [with the pharmaceutical industry] and
improving communication systems, the NPC and its partners expect to be
able to provide more comprehensive and timely
advance information to relevant decision-makers, working within the NHS
in England. This should help them to plan for the appropriate introduction
of key new medicines, to the benefit of patient care, as soon as
possible.” |
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