Fund for new medicines in Scotland doubles

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-32761132

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The Scottish government has announced that it has doubled the money available in its New Medicines Fund.

A total of £80m will be available this year to pay for new, expensive drugs which would not otherwise be available on the NHS.

The New Medicines Fund was first set up in March 2013, when it was called the Rare Conditions Medicines Fund.

It spent £21m on 45 different medicines which were prescribed to about 200 people.

Last year the fund was worth £40 million.

Earlier this year, the University of York said the NHS in England (which operates a similar system) was paying too much for medicines, diverting money away from other services and causing more harm than good overall.

Researchers said that substantial numbers of patients suffered harm and some died early because money that could be spent on their treatment went instead to pay for costly new drugs.

They said the patients who lost out were invisible and had no say in the argument over how limited NHS resources were spent.

'Radically overhauled'

The price of new drugs is rising as medicines become more "bespoke".

New medicines often target people with particular genetics, or a particular type of illness.

This makes them more effective but also increases the price, since pharmaceuticals have to recoup the cost of developing the drug from a smaller number of patients.

However, terminally ill people whose lives can be extended, and those who have rare conditions, have fought vigorously for medicines which are often available to patients in other European countries.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said, "This government, working with the Scottish Parliament's Health and Sport Committee, has radically overhauled access to treatments for people with rare and end-of-life conditions, and the New Medicines Fund has been key to removing a potential barrier to accessing expensive new drugs.

"For many patients, innovative treatments can extend their lives or improve the quality of the time they have left, and I am clear that we should be doing all we can to make these available.

"That is why I am announcing today that we will double the resources available to fund new medicines, committing £80m next year to support patients needing rare or end-of-life treatments."

Cancer Research UK welcomed the additional funding for 2015/2016.

Gregor McNie, the charity's senior public affairs manager in Scotland, said: "Cancer Research UK believes all patients should receive the best treatments for their condition, and we welcome the Scottish government's commitment to make it easier for patients to get the medicine they need.

"It's crucial that this fund represents a sustainable way to pay for medicines, and that all health boards and doctors know about it and can use it to benefit their patients."