BMJ  2006;333 (25 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.39037.637292.80

Editor's Choice

Editor's choice

Fear not the heat

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The United Kingdom's main rationing body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), is in the hot seat, and things look set to get hotter. NICE is facing its first ever legal challenge from the drug industry—about the decision making process behind its recommendation to restrict drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39041.497315.DB). And it is under attack from US drug companies, apparently with White House backing, for stifling innovation in an overt attempt to gain unrestricted access to the NHS as part of a free market (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39041.354074.DB).

What this shows is not that NICE is in trouble but that it is doing its job. It was set up to ensure that treatments available on the NHS provide value for money. Decisions to restrict drug treatments are hugely emotive to patients and clinicians. Controversy is inevitable. But the fact that there is insufficient evidence that . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Related Article

Prediction of risk of death and myocardial infarction in the six months after presentation with acute coronary syndrome: prospective multinational observational study (GRACE)

Keith A A Fox, Omar H Dabbous, Robert J Goldberg, Karen S Pieper, Kim A Eagle, Frans Van de Werf, Álvaro Avezum, Shaun G Goodman, Marcus D Flather, Frederick A Anderson, Jr, and Christopher B Granger
BMJ 2006 333: 1091. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Improving NICE

John A Stapleton
bmj.com, 24 Nov 2006 [Full text]

NICE isn't doing it's job

Jonathan Bensley
bmj.com, 24 Nov 2006 [Full text]

The "fourth hurdle" downunder - still there

Ruth Lopert
bmj.com, 24 Nov 2006 [Full text]

NICE guidance on dementia treatments

Kallur Suresh
bmj.com, 25 Nov 2006 [Full text]

Cost and cost-effectiveness

Roger A Chalmers
bmj.com, 27 Nov 2006 [Full text]

Re: Cost and cost-effectiveness

Phil Miller
bmj.com, 29 Nov 2006 [Full text]

Australian PBS is under pressure from American companies

David A Henry
bmj.com, 4 Dec 2006 [Full text]

Flexibility and Psychological impact

Munir E Nassar
bmj.com, 7 Dec 2006 [Full text]

Support for NICE

David N Griffith
bmj.com, 23 Dec 2006 [Full text]