‘Risk share’ with us, say CCGs
pharmafile | December 6, 2012 | News story | Sales and Marketing | CCGs, NHS, Pharmafocus, Prescriber, pharma
Pharma companies have been urged to “put your head on the block” by coming up with risk-sharing funding plans for drugs.
Speakers at yesterday’s Pharmafocus and Prescriber conference in London, also wanted pharma to help the new clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) by coming up with ideas rather than just selling drugs.
Dr Michael Dixon, chair of the NHS Alliance and president of NHS Clinicial Commissioners (NHSCC), described what he meant by saying: “Put your head on the block with us.”
A major theme of the conference, ‘CCGs, the new NHS and pharma’, was the hope that there would be a more collaborative relationship between industry and clinicians.
For instance, if a pharma company said a certain drug could save a CCG money, but it turned out that it didn’t, then the firm should ‘knock off half the price’, Dixon suggested.
Dr Joe McGilligan, chair of East Surrey CCG, agreed: “If you really believe in your drug, sell it to me really cheaply and I’ll pay you full price when you’ve proved it’s worked.”
Michael Sobanja, NHS Alliance policy director, emphasised that such deals must be part of a genuine partnership: “Make sure it’s risk sharing, not risk shifting.”
Explaining that CCGs would receive bonuses based on outcomes, Dixon went on: “Anything you can do to help us get better outcomes and contain demand is welcome.”
Taking COPD as an example, he said: “If you’ve got a product that would help, you need to be talking about the whole service.”
This might include the drug itself but also suggestions on support for carers, Dixon added.
To achieve this, there will be several ways in to CCGs for pharma companies, he explained.
“Every CCG will have a clinical leader and in most that will be the chairman,” Dixon said. “The boss is going to be pretty busy, but CCGs will also have local leads in various therapy areas and each CCG will have a prescribing adviser.”
Pharma will find it easier to deal with doctors from next April in the new-look NHS than they do at present, insisted Dixon, adding that time will be the key element in building up trust.
“We’ll need real transparency in the way we deal with each other,” he concluded. “You will find a very different relationship with clinicians and CCGs [compared] to the episodic relationship with PCTs in the past.”
Adam Hill
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