Editorials

Regulating the pharmaceutical industry

The pharmaceutical price regulation scheme¹ is a voluntary agreement between Britain's Department of Health and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry in which companies negotiate generous target profit rates from sales of drugs to the NHS (17-21% rate of return on investment in research and development). The scheme's objectives are to secure the provision of safe and effective medicines to the NHS at reasonable prices; to promote a strong pharmaceutical industry in Britain; and to encourage the efficient and competitive development and supply of medicines worldwide.¹ The scheme was renewed in 1993 for five years and is currently under review. Although the scheme has been successful in helping to maintain the British pharmaceutical industry, its objectives conflict, and the way the scheme operates pays little regard to other health policy objectives. As the price of renegotiation, the government should request changes to the scheme, to minimise the inherent conflicts . . . [Full text of this article]

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Regulating the pharmaceutical industry

Jim Furniss, Joe Zammit-Lucia, Neil Johnson, Peter Read, Adrian Towse, Penelope Rowlatt, P R Clear, Mendel Grobler, Sean P Lance, Alan Maynard, and Karen Bloor
BMJ 1998 316: 226. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Pharmaceutical industry is invited to respond to amnesty for unreported trials

Ian Roberts
BMJ 1997 315: 683. [Extract] [Full Text]

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