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  • The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Accessing medicines
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Supporting innovative medicines funding in Scotland

Scotland receives superb value from the latest medicines and vaccines thanks to robust measures which ensure NHS Scotland uses treatments that are both cost and clinically effective.

Companies can’t just pick a price for a medicine and there are controls in place to give NHS Scotland predictability on its medicines budget.

The Voluntary Pricing and Access Scheme, or ‘VPAS’, is a five-year agreement between the pharmaceutical industry, the Government and the NHS which controls spending on new medicine.

It works by making sure the branded medicines bill will not grow by more than 2% in any of the next 5 years, with anything over this rebated to the Scottish Government. 

Pharmaceutical companies have already given over £250 million to the NHS through a ring-fenced fund via the Scottish Government.

The voluntary agreement works alongside the Scottish Medicines Consortium. The SMC advises NHS Scotland on whether a new medicine is cost effective and does this by comparing it with medicines already being used and the likely number of patients set to benefit.  

If the new treatment is deemed to be too expensive, compared with the benefits it brings, it is not recommended for use.

When pricing a medicine, companies need to take into account the costs of research and development – not just for the successful medicine but also for the many which have failed.

We want to ensure patients in Scotland continue to access the latest new medicines. It is not only about protecting the checks and balances in place today, but making sure Scotland is ready for the future.

Making the most of healthcare care data can improve clinician and patient decision making, reduce waste and ensure that new medicines make their way to patients faster.

We’re proud to be delivering for the health and economy of Scotland. The pharmaceutical industry delivers £2.7 billion of GVA to the Scottish economy, supporting 5,000 jobs directly and thousands more in the supply chain across the whole country.

How medicines are priced in the UK

  • How are new medicines developed?
  • How are medicines priced?
  • The Voluntary Scheme on branded medicines
  • What is the life cycle of a medicine?
  • What is the NICE Methods Review?
  • Improving access to medicine in the UK
  • The future of medicine
  • Supporting innovative medicines funding in Scotland
  • What was the PPRS?

RELATED LINKS

  • ABPI Scotland
  • The Voluntary Scheme on branded medicines

ABPI

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales 
(registered number 09826787) and its registered office is at 7th Floor Southside,105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT.
Telephone +44 (0) 207 9303477

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Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA)

The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) was established by The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to operate the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry independently of the ABPI. The PMCPA is a division of ABPI which is a company registered in England and Wales (registered number 09826787) with its registered office at 7th Floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QT.

Office of Health Economics (OHE)

The Office of Health Economics (OHE) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (registered number 09848965) and its registered office is at 7th Floor Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT. OHE provides independent research, advisory and consultancy services on policy implications and economic issues within the pharmaceutical, health care and biotechnology sectors.