Health service under pressure from US drug manufacturers

Tue, 14 Nov 2006

Global health insurance news was today concerned with White House pressure on British politicians to allow major drug companies’ access to the National Health Service . The pharmaceutical mega-firms are looking for approval to be involved in the drug prescription process, and have government backing. According to them, they are being prevented by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, and are lobbying on this front also.

The US deputy health secretary, Alex Azar, yesterday forced the issue. The aim, Azar claimed, was to allow all new drugs to be used in the NHS system, meaning drug companies would have to fight it out on price . This would keep the cost of drugs down, apparently, making it easier for the NHS to stay stable. His ultimate aim includes allowing drug companies the ability to advertise direct to patients.

Azar went one step further, and proposed that private medical insurance packages for those on Medicare could be effective in the UK – effectively allowing those more able to pay to access better healthcare . The beleaguered NICE will face further pressure from the White House.

Azar concluded: "I try to remember to advise people first off that we will never balance our budget going after drug prices. They are a relatively small proportion of the entire healthcare budget in our system."
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