Failure to act
on recommendations 'has potential to bring entire system to a
standstill'
Prostate Cancer UK has
welcomed the Health Committee's report on NICE. Owen Sharp, Chief
Executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said:
"We welcome this report,
which echoes a number of our key recommendations to the Health
Committee. It is unacceptable that there remains a lack of
information about the proposed move to 'value-based pricing' to
determine the cost of new drugs. Similarly, we still do not know
how drugs currently provided via
the Cancer Drugs Fund will be paid for in the future. Failure to
provide such clarity, as a matter of urgency, will make a smooth
transition to the proposed new pricing scheme highly unlikely, and has the potential to bring the
entire system to a standstill.
"We commend the
Health Committee on its strongly worded and timely report, and urge
all relevant authorities to act upon it without delay to ensure a
new drug pricing system will work. We also urge the
Department of Health to commit to better involve patient groups in
the development of this important policy. It is essential that the
discussions on the value of new drugs reflect the views of people
who will ultimately benefit from them. "
Notes
to editors
Prostate Cancer
UK has led a coalition of charities to research the views of
people affected by cancer regarding the pricing and value of new
drugs. Their report "Value-based pricing: getting it
right for people with cancer," presents the collective voice of
over a dozen leading cancer charities, and the people they
represent, and provides crucial insight into patients' opinion on
these vitally important issues.
The report sets
out that, although the principle behind the drug pricing reforms
are welcome, people affected by cancer will not support value-based
pricing unless it can be shown to lead to improvements in access to
vital drugs. People affected by cancer see reform as an opportunity
to improve the current system - but they want and need to have
equal voice in the development of the policy and the determination
of "value". The report proposes that a new body should be set up to
represent and strengthen the voice of patients in future drug
pricing and appraising processes across the UK. The report also
highlights that, in addition to placing a high value on drugs which
provide clear clinical benefits and those that provide benefits at
the end of life, people affected by cancer value drugs which
improve quality of life, especially those which reduce pain and
fatigue.
Download Value-based pricing: getting it right for people
with cancer.