Manifesto calls for better deal for UK patients

Patients in the UK are still being short-changed by a system that is slow to pick up on new medicines and reluctant to prescribe them - even when they have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

New figures produced by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industrty (ABPI) show that the UK still lags behind its European and global counterparts in prescribing new, innovative medicines for patients. Even five years after their launch, major cancer medicines are still being prescribed at below two-thirds the rate of other, comparable countries; diabetes medicines at below half the rate; and dementia medicines at about one third.

The ABPI has launched a manifesto produced by the research-based pharmaceutical industry that places patients firmly at the top of the agenda and calls for action to tackle 'postcode prescribing' and help the National Health Service (NHS) budget go further.

'There is a serious short-changing of British patients, said Nigel Brooksby, president of the ABPI. 'In the UK they are not getting modern medicines as quickly as they should, and often not getting them even when NICE has said they should.'

'The ABPI manifesto makes clear the industry's determination to work towards fairness in prescribing. We are working closely with the Department of Health in improving the UK's position in the European league table of advanced medicines use.'

The ABPI figures show that new medicines - those no more than five years old - have an uptake in the UK more than a quarter lower than the average in comparator countries. Of 18 new medicines launched in this period, 13 are being prescribed below the rate of other countries, with nine at under half the use. New cancer medicines have just 64% of the overall take-up, according to 2005 figures. New diabetes medicines, glitazones, have 63% usage of comparator countries three years from launch, and dementia treatments some 30%.

The increased take-up of medicines following a positive recommendation by NICE should be prompt and substantial, but ABPI figures show that prescribing of medicines for cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's often shows little or no change following NICE approval.

The overall medicines bill is not to blame - it dropped by an estimated 3.8% in 2005, following the imposition of the 7% price cut under the terms of the new Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS). Looking forward, prices are expected to drop in real terms, and the increase to the budget caused by new products will be small.

'The industry recognises that the Government has to operate within a finite health budget, but preventing patients from getting medicines that can benefit them is not the way to do it,' said Brooksby. 'We must stop the iniquity whereby people are denied the medicines they need until their condition has deteriorated. There must be a better way - including the correct use of cost-effective medicines so that they become part of the answer to financial constraints, not part of the problem.'

The manifesto also spells out the industry's determination to enforce the strict rules of the ABPI Code of Practice - the most robust system of self-regulation in the world. Thanks to the major publicity campaign launched by the ABPI earlier in the year to raise awareness of the code, the number of complaints made this year - some 110 so far - already exceeds the total for 2005.

'The number of complaints received from health professionals continues to be much higher than those from other sources. This is a success for our campaign to ensure doctors and others know of the code and its provisions, and we shall continue to name and shame companies found in breach of the code,' said Brooksby. 'We will not defend any examples of bad practice within the industry.'