The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7488 p145
9 February 2008

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News summary

Joint working with industry encouraged

NHS organisations and staff are encouraged to consider opportunities for joint working with the pharmaceutical industry in a guidance document published by the Department of Health last week.

“A philosophy of developing appropriate partnerships to help achieve high quality patient care could further enhance the objective of a patient-centred NHS,” the document states.

However, it warns that any collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry should be conducted in an open and transparent manner, adding that joint working “differs from sponsorship, where pharmaceutical companies simply provide funds for a specific event or work programme”.

The document encourages NHS organisations to consider partnership approaches that meet patient and NHS needs, are the most accessible, provide sustainable clinical benefits and are highly cost effective.

“The NHS should also consider the impact once these arrangements are concluded. An effective exit strategy should be in place at the outset of a given project detailing the responsibilities of each party,” the document states.

Health minister Dawn Primarolo commented on the guidance: “We know that joint working between the NHS and pharmaceutical industry can bring real benefits to patients so we want the NHS to work with them more to improve patient care.”

And Richard Barker, director general of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: “Increasingly, the importance of [industry] knowledge being shared with our partners in the NHS for the benefit of patients is being recognised, and this guidance can only encourage the constructive use of such activity in the UK.”