ABPI reservations on proposals to change the Statutory Scheme

Trade group the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has published an  executive summary of its consultation response to  the government's proposed changes to the Statutory Scheme for branded medicines.

In its response, the ABPI acknowledged and broadly supported the government’s intention to bring the Statutory Scheme into alignment with the new Voluntary Scheme for Pricing Access and Growth (VPAG), which was agreed with the industry at the end of last year.

However, the industry also expressed reservations about many of the specific proposals in the consultation, some of which remain novel and untested. The ABPI stressed the importance of monitoring both schemes to allow any emerging issues to be addressed before they unduly impact patients, companies, or the wider NHS.