Not dead yet

doi:10.1136/bmj.39489.635556.BE

BMJ 2008;336:406 (23 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.39489.635556.BE

Letters

PPRS

Not dead yet

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

Claxton et al boldly state that the current Pharmaceutical PriceRegulation Scheme (PPRS) is dead.¹ Would that were so.

The PPRS is rooted in the past and fails both to deliver itsstated objectives and to reflect the realities of the modernNHS and the modern pharmaceutical industry. When I was headof the PPRS branch in the Department of Health 15 years agoI argued that with the introduction of prescribing budgets thescheme was no longer necessary or appropriate. With practicebased commissioning the case for fundamental reform is now unanswerable.

The government plans to consult shortly on likely changes tothe scheme, and to implement those changes by July. What theconsultation document will say remains confidential, but allthe indications are that the focus will be on a quick fix now(consisting of a mandatory price cut accompanied by cosmeticchanges) coupled with a promise to . . . [Full text of this article]

Jim Furniss, consultant

¹ Bridgehead International, Pera Innovation Park, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 0PB

jim.furniss@bridgehead.com

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Value based pricing for NHS drugs: an opportunity not to be missed?: Karl Claxton, Andrew Briggs, Martin J Buxton, Anthony J Culyer, Christopher McCabe, Simon Walker, and Mark J Sculpher
BMJ 2008 336: 251-254. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]