Darzi plans for a faster NICE process
pharmafile | March 3, 2009 | News story | |Â Â NHSÂ
Health minister Lord Darzi has unveiled proposals that would see the NICE appraisal process speeded up considerably.
NICE has been severely criticised for its protracted appraisals of important new drugs, with final decisions regularly coming 18 months or longer after a product is first launched in the UK.
Cancer drugs have been automatically 'fast-tracked' since December 2007, with the aim of producing guidance within six months of being referred to NICE.
Now NICE wants all drugs to be reviewed to this timescale, making the average appraisal at least three months faster.
However, experience has shown that while the 'fast track' appraisals have been quicker, the time it takes for a drug to be referred to NICE has been longer.
For that reason, the government will now examine how to speed up this referral process.
The initiative is contained in a four-point plan, and will be put out to consultation for three months. The aim is to not only speed up the process itself, but end the uncertainty surrounding drugs awaiting NICE's decision.
The four-point plan
* A consultation will take place on a faster system for referring drugs to NICE
* NICE will gain an extra appraisal committee to add to its existing three committees. This will create extra capacity and cut workloads for the existing panels
* Investment in 'horizon scanning' will be increased to ensure new drugs are identified earlier
* A guidance document for the NHS will be produced detailing good practice on how PCTs should decide on drugs where there is no existing NICE guidance. A programme of training and support will assist the NHS in implementing the guidance.
While the consultation on NICE topic selection will run for three months, the guidance to PCTs will be issued to the NHS with immediate effect.
Announcing the measures, health minister Lord Darzi said: "Last year in High Quality Care for All, I set out our commitment to speed up the NICE process. Together, the measures set out today build on this commitment and will help provide faster and fairer access to new drugs and treatments – great news for patients."
NICE's chief executive Andrew Dillon said the Institute was very keen to ensure it produced guidance as quickly as possible to help patients and the NHS.
"Speeding up non-cancer appraisals by at least three months to come in to line with the cancer appraisals, and increasing transparency by clarifying topic selection criteria, are just some of the potential improvements we and the Department of Health are suggesting."
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