Call for end to prescribing variations for cancer drugs
The All-Party Public
Accounts Committee has recommended that a deadline be set for ending the current wide variations in prescribing of anti-cancer drugs, such as trastuzumab (Herceptin).
Their inquiry (PDF 1.1MB) into regional inequalities in cancer mortality
rates found that such drugs, which can roughly double the survival time
for
women
with advanced breast cancer, were prescribed less often in deprived parts
of the north of England. Local NHS cancer networks reported that “uneven
availability is not due to problems in getting funding for drug purchases,
but rather to lack of specialist staff and unsuitable pharmacy accommodation,
and variations in clinical practice in the prescribing of approved drugs,
leading to local variations in the implementation of National Institute
for Clinical Excellence guidelines.”
The PAC concluded: “The recommendations of the national cancer
director regarding resources, clinical practices and enhancements in
NICE guidance should be implemented speedily, with a clear timetable
for monitoring their impact and reviews of progress.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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