Pharma to work with NPC on pre-launch updates
pharmafile | August 4, 2004 | News story | |Â Â Â
News of new medicines on the horizon should be communicated better and earlier to NHS clinicians and managers following a National Prescribing Centre review of its current practices.
The NPC is the NHS body charged with promoting good prescribing and alerting prescribers and managers about medicines in the industry pipelines. It says two new On the Horizon bulletins on late-stage drugs will benefit from its recent discussions with the industry.
Future Medicines will include details of some of the most significant new drugs around six months ahead of launch while Rapid Review will provide further relevant information on the products within two months of launch.
The NPC and the ABPI say their recent discussions have been productive and will help the dissemination of timely and clear communications.
Martin Anderson, director of commercial affairs at the ABPI said: "By further improving the provision to NHS organisations of timely and useful high quality information about new medicines, we hope it will support and encourage the appropriate uptake of new, innovative medicines."
He added: "Patients will stand to benefit if the NHS is well informed in advance of the latest key developments in medication as they emerge."
Clive Jackson, chief executive of the NPC said the discussions had been constructive and presented further opportunities for improving communications with the industry.
The proliferation of NICE technology appraisals and clinical guidelines – and the ability of the NHS to keep abreast of, as well as fund and implement them – continues to be a concern in the health service.
NICE recently updated its strategy for communicating with the NHS, and the NPC says its new bulletins will be co-ordinated with those produced by NICE to prevent any conflicting messages.
