NHS Funding Receives An Unexpected Boost
News that the UK government has agreed a new pricing structure for the sale of drugs supplied to the NHS has been welcomed by many in the industry. The move, which see a 5% reduction in drug charges through the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS), will benefit the NHS to the tune of over £500 million a year. But who will pay in the end?
While the structure of the new deal is very beneficial to the NHS and guarantees a stream of business for the major pharmaceutical companies, they will see a substantial drop in their short term profits. There is concern that the drug companies will need to make up this short fall by increasing the cost of drugs which are sold over the counter to consumers. This has been refuted by the companies involved but there is a sneaking suspicion that it may well happen over time.
When you consider that the 5% discount equates to a £500 million annual saving this shows just how much the NHS spends on drugs each year. A small percentage saving can literally save millions if not billions of pounds, money which can be used elsewhere in the NHS.
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