NHS England targets £400 million saving by cutting 'low-value' prescription items

28 March 2017

A Viagra (sildenafil citrate) alternative, selected painkillers and travel vaccines are among items which the National Health Service (NHS) in England is set to cease prescribing.

These have been categorized as ‘low value prescription items’ and cutting them from the NHS budget could save as much as £400 million ($501.2 million).

NHS England promises to work with clinicians and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to develop guidelines initially around a set of 10 medicines which are deemed ineffective, unnecessary, inappropriate for prescription on the NHS, or even unsafe, and that together cost the NHS £128 million per year.

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