Consultation outcome

Update to the statutory scheme to control the costs of branded health service medicines

From:: Department of Health and Social Care
Published: 15 March 2022
Last updated: 1 June 2022 — See all updates

Download the full outcome

Proposed changes to the statutory scheme to control the costs of branded health service medicines: consultation response

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Final impact assessment: update to the statutory scheme to control the costs of branded health service medicines

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Detail of outcome

The government has published its response to feedback received through this consultation.

The finalised regulations and explanatory memorandum have also been published.

Original consultation

Consultation description

We operate 2 schemes to control NHS spending on branded medicines:

voluntary scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access 2019 (referred to as ‘VPAS’ or the ‘voluntary scheme’)
a statutory scheme, which is set out in legislation

We are seeking views on our proposal to increase the rate of payments made by pharmaceutical companies who are members of the statutory scheme payment in 2022 and 2023.

This is to ensure we continue to control growth in medicines sales under the statutory scheme at a rate of 1.1% and continue to maintain broad commercial equivalence with VPAS. This in turn ensures the overall medicine spend remains affordable and protects the income to the NHS generated by both schemes, in a way consistent with supporting both the life sciences and the wider economy.

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