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Written question asked by Stephen Kinnock (Labour) on Monday, 14 December 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 17 December 2015 (named day). It was answered by George Freeman (Conservative) on Thursday, 17 December 2015 on behalf of the Department of Health.

NHS: Drugs

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on trends in the number of medicines supplied to the NHS of each of the three options set out in its recent consultation, Changes to the Statutory Scheme to Control the Prices of Branded Health Service Medicines, published on 10 September 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Five companies have left the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme since January 2014 as follows:


- Derma November 2014;

- Genus (Thornton & Ross) November 2014;

- Vifor May 2015;

- Baxter October 2015; and

- Martindale October 2015


The Department estimates the financial effect to be a loss of around £10 million in 2015/16.


The Department’s consultation on options to amend the statutory scheme to control prices of branded health service medicines closed on 4 December 2015. The consultation was accompanied by an Impact Assessment which can be accessed:


https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/460011/Annex_C_Statutory_Scheme_2014_IA.pdf


The Department’s analysis in the Impact Assessment concludes that the options would reduce National Health Service spending on drugs without affecting the use of those drugs in the NHS. The consultation sought views, comments and evidence on the potential impacts and operation of the options to revise thestatutory branded prices scheme. The Department is considering the responses received and will respond to the consultation in early 2016.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
19897
Session
2015-16
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Drugs NHS Prices
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk