Many UK patients still not receiving cost-effective NICE approved medicines

A new report published yesterday by the UK’s Health and Social Care Information Centre shows that NICE appraised medicines are being underused by the NHS in half of the disease groups raising concerns that patients are not receiving the best treatments available.

The findings, published in Use of NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)-appraised medicines in the NHS (National Health Service) in England, in 2010 and 2011 are the result of a 2009 agreement between the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and government to measure how well patients are able to access the medicines approved by NICE. It illustrates where medicines use is lower than, in line with or higher than the NICE expectation. The report was commission by the Department of Health and produced by the HSCIC previously known as the NHS Information Centre) in collaboration with the NICE.

After nearly four years, the latest report continues to show that patients are still not getting access to NICE recommended medicines at the expected level, as half of the disease groups are showing lower than expected use. In fact, the picture for some of the medicines showing under use in 2010 has actually worsened in 2011.