21.03.13
NICE to assess value of new medicines
NICE will assess the full value of medicines when new pricing arrangements are introduced from 2014, the Department of Health has announced.
The new responsibilities are outlined in the Government’s response to the Health Select Committee report on the future of NICE.
NICE will work to link the price the NHS pays for medicines more closely to their value to patients, with a broader scope to assess a medicine’s benefits and costs.
The DH welcomed the committee’s call for developing healthcare quality standards for long-term conditions, co-morbidities and complex needs, as well as providing better information about drug trials and encouraging the development of integrated care.
Lord Howe, health minister said: “We are delighted to announce the central role NICE will take in assessing the value of new medicines. This will allow us to draw on NICE’s world-leading expertise as we develop the Value-Based Pricing scheme.
“The role of NICE is developing and growing as it takes on new responsibilities in social care. We are grateful to the Health Select Committee for their detailed report and helpful recommendations covering various aspects of NICE’s work.
“We know NICE is facing new challenges and have every confidence that its Chair-designate, Professor David Haslam, will lead it successfully into the future.”
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