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Can we afford medical advances?
1Institute of Liver Studies, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London.
Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London
|January 1, 1993
Summary
New, expensive medical therapies require cost-effectiveness assessments for National Health Service (NHS) approval. Practitioner prescribing freedom for high-cost drugs must be restricted to ensure affordability and responsible resource allocation.
Area of Science:
- Health economics
- Pharmaceutical policy
- Clinical practice
Background:
- Rising costs of novel therapeutic agents pose significant challenges to healthcare systems.
- The National Health Service (NHS) faces affordability issues with the introduction of expensive new medical treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore mechanisms for managing the introduction and use of expensive new therapeutic agents within the NHS.
- To advocate for cost-effectiveness alongside clinical efficacy and safety in drug licensing.
- To address the need for restricted prescribing of high-cost drugs.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of current drug approval and prescribing practices.
- Economic evaluation of therapeutic agents.
- Policy review regarding pharmaceutical access.
Main Results:
- Current systems are insufficient to affordably integrate expensive new therapies.
- Product licensing should incorporate cost-effectiveness data from controlled clinical trials.
- Restrictions on prescribing high-cost drugs are necessary.
Conclusions:
- Affordability of advanced medical treatments hinges on new economic and regulatory mechanisms.
- Integrating cost-effectiveness into licensing and practice is crucial for sustainable healthcare.
- Balancing innovation with fiscal responsibility is essential for the NHS.