NHS facing drugs fight

DRUGS giants are taking the NHS to court over a scheme that gives officials unprecedented powers to ration the use of expensive medicines.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has applied for a judicial review of changes that allow NHS England to restrict treatments if the total annual cost exceeds £20million. Previously, any approved by NHS drugs watchdog NICE had to be made available but the new rules allow officials to delay access for three years.

ABPI chief Mike Thompson said the rule would ‘delay access to cost-effective medicines and deny treatments to patients suffering from rare diseases’.

NHS officials have said the powers are designed to give them a negotiating tool to push down drug prices, rather than reduce patient access.