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  • The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Accessing medicines
  • How medicines are priced in the UK
  • Improving access to medicine in the UK

Why is it important to improve access to medicine in the UK?

The UK is a world leader in pharmaceutical research and development, and it is vital that NHS patients are able to access the latest treatments as fast as patients in other countries.

Despite the UK’s leading position as an innovator in pharmaceuticals and the existence of multiple mechanisms to help the NHS to control its spend on medicines, the UK is slow at adopting new treatments.

For every 100 patients that get a new medicine in its 1st year of launch in other parts of the EU – including France and Germany – just 21 patients in the UK get access.

There is also significant variation across the UK when it comes to accessing different types of medicines.

If we want UK patients to have world-class healthcare we don’t just need to invest more, we also need to prioritise ensuring early access to innovation.

We need to invest more in the NHS, not just for medicines but across all areas including prevention and diagnosis.

Investing in UK healthcare will not only benefit patients but will also help to secure the future of UK science and R&D and the ability to remain a world-leader in hospital-based research including clinical trials.

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?
  • Improving access to medicine in the UK
  • The future of medicine
  • What was the PPRS?

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.