Concerns about the inconsistent availability of certain medicines has resulted in a review of the decision-making process at NHS Scotland’s drugs approval body.
Alex Neil, Scottish Health Secretary has stated that the review of the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) comes in response to concerns raised by patients, clinicians and charities. The role of the SMC is to evaluate all newly licensed medicines and advise NHS boards on their clinical effectiveness and value for money. Following a green light from the SMC, health boards draw up a set of criteria for prescribing medicines. If medicines do not receive the go-ahead, then health boards do not make them routinely available. Vicky Crichton, Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager in Scotland, has welcomed the review. She said: “In a health system with limited resources, SMC does an essential and difficult job well. But there have been concerns raised about the ability of patients to access effective medicines. It is important to look at the evidence and make sure the system is robust so that patients get the best treatments at a good price for the NHS. We look forward to making our contribution to the review.” The new review will assess the systems by which new medicines are made available across NHS Scotland, from the national level to local decision-making.
