The Scottish government has announced a doubling of funding this year, from £20 million to £40 million, to improve patient access to new medicines.

The money will be made available through the newly-established New Medicines Fund, which expands and replaces the Rare Conditions Medicines Fund set up in March 2013. It will help health boards access to greater resources to fund the cost of new drugs, and complements changes made to the way the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) assesses medicines.

The new Fund is being financed by the rebate made to the Scottish government by the pharmaceutical industry under the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) and, in keeping with the established plan for the Rare Conditions Fund, it will also be maintained in 2015/16. Patients who have benefited from the Rare Conditions Fund – which in 2013/14 supported the cost of 45 different drugs, benefitting over 200 patients – will continue to be supported within the new arrangements.

For more details, go to: http://www.pharmatimes.com/Article/14-10-07/Scotland_doubles_funding_for_access_to_new_medicines.aspx