10 May 2019 - January 2019 saw the introduction of the new Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access in the UK.
There are some significant changes, and the complexity of the deal can make it bewildering. So what does it mean for pharma, and what can the sector do to maximise its opportunities and minimise its risks?
The UK government had always set its stock by stability when it comes to agreements on branded medicines pricing: the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) was first established in 1978, and both the government and, for four decades, the pharma sector valued this continuity and degree of certainty around pricing policies.
This arrangement came to an end in January 2019, with the PPRS being replaced by the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access.