This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Move to end 'postcode prescribing'
24/11/2003
A strengthened role for the Scottish Medicines
Consortium (SMC) will ensure that 'unique drugs' will be
made available
simultaneously across Scotland.
The new arrangements for the provision of drugs like
Imatinib or Glivec used in the treatment of leukaemia will
mean they can quickly pass into mainstream use once
approved by the SMC.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:
"Patients deserve equal access wherever they live in
Scotland to new drugs which are the only effective
treatment for a particular condition.
"It is entirely unacceptable that patients are denied
the benefit of such a drug simply because there is no
provision for it in their local Health Board budget.
"The new role for the SMC will incorporate better
planning to flag up new treatments well in advance to
ensure that Boards can make proper financial provision
before they receive SMC approval.
"That will mean consistency and an end to what has been
described as a lottery by postcode for such products."
The SMC comprises representatives of drug and
therapeutic committees from all 15 Health Boards and was
set up in 2002 to provide a single authoritative source of
advice on the effectiveness of new drugs.
In its new strengthened role from Spring 2004 there will
be:
- an agreed national programme for "unique" drugs
with a requirement for every health board to make it
available at the same time across Scotland
- a new mechanism to give the SMC up to 12 months'
notice of innovative drugs which are in the
pipeline
- greater representation on the SMC of Board Chief
Executives and Directors of Finance to ensure national
implementation of all decisions
Each board will continue to have discretion over
SMC-approved drugs for which there are already effective
alternative treatments.
Mr 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.
"The SMC has the expertise to assess clinical
effectiveness of drugs. It will decide what are novel
treatments and what are merely alternative products to
existing drugs.
"Our key priority is to meet clinical need. That is
established by clinicians in consultation with
patients.
"I believe this approach achieves the right balance
which is in the best interests of patients across
Scotland."
The SMC currently considers around 80 new drugs a
year.
It will now classify them into:
(a) unique drugs for specific conditions which, if
approved by the SMC, will be introduced uniformly across
Scotland. Normally this will be within three months. In
certain circumstances, for example, where the SMC makes a
requirement for audit, this timescale may be extended. All
NHS Boards will be required to follow the national
implementation plan for these drugs.
(b) drugs for conditions where alternative drugs with
the same clinical properties already exist. Implementation
of such drugs approved by the SMC will be for Boards to
decide according to local needs.
The system for advance warning of unique novel
treatments will involve closer working with ABPI
(Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry)
Scotland. Boards will review such drugs for which the SMC
has already given approval and ensure that these available
uniformly across the country.
Boards currently spend £846 million a year on drugs. The
vast majority of this is on existing treatments.