£310m in 2014 to underwrite medicines bill
The ABPI and the Department of Health have announced a fourth quarter payment from industry of £81 million to underwrite the growth of the medicines bill under the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS). This takes the total payment made by industry during 2014 to £310 million.
In 2014 the growth for the full year was 5.2% - less than the quarter three growth of 5.93%. While this represents growth above the original joint forecast of 3.87%, when compared to the same quarter in 2013 it indicates growth is 3.2%. Increased use of branded medicines is encouraging but industry would still like to see equal access for patients to all medicines across care sectors. Alison Clough, ABPI’s Executive Director Commercial, says it is essential barriers to the use of new medicines are removed.
“The PPRS provides Government and the NHS with a unique opportunity to offer patients access to newer, more innovative medicines at minimal additional cost and today’s announcement demonstrates industry’s commitment to supporting the NHS in a time of austerity.
However there is significant disparity of growth across the primary and secondary care settings as well as between different therapy areas. We are committed to working with all parties to ensure that the barriers to the use of new medicines in all care
settings are removed and that NICE appropriately assesses medicines so that ring-fenced funds for selected therapy areas are not needed.
“Industry agreed to the PPRS in order to improve the use of innovative medicines in the UK. We are working with the Department of Health to ensure action in key areas such as changes to NICE’s decision making framework and medicines optimisation to maximise the benefits of the PPRS so that patients can get the right medicine at the right time.”
Industry will underwrite any further expenditure by the NHS subject to specific exceptions set out in chapter 6 of the PPRS. The pharmaceutical industry has agreed to keep NHS expenditure on branded medicines flat for two years and under 2% growth for the following three year.
Companies will make percentage payments based on any difference between allowed growth and actual growth in NHS expenditure on branded medicines, subject to the agreed exclusions.
Cullen staff put community into pharmacy
The staff of Cullen Pharmacy in Keith, Banffshire have been playing their part for local charities recently, taking part in the British Heart Foundation ‘Wear it, Beat it’ campaign raising a fantastic £500.
They joined together to wear red for the day hosting a range of activities for customers from raffles, home bakes and even selling red roses.
Pharmacist Colin Cullen and staff would like to thank their customers for helping them to raise these much needed funds for such a worthwhile cause. “The team here have been outstanding,” Colin told us, “their hard work and dedication to their community is unrivalled and as a pharmacy owner I am incredibly proud of them and their efforts. This is real community pharmacy in action!”
SCOTTISH PHARMACIST - 13
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