Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

(asked on 13th October 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the proposed update to the 2023 statutory scheme to control the cost of branded health services medicines, what (a) evidential basis and (b) analysis his Department considered when proposing to keep growth in the branded medicines bill in real terms decline, at 2 per cent per annum.


Answered by
Will Quince Portrait
Will Quince
This question was answered on 20th October 2023

The Government is currently consulting on updates to the statutory scheme to make sure that the scheme can continue to meet its objectives from 2024 onwards. The evidential basis and analysis considered is set out in the consultation stage impact assessment of the proposed updates that has been published, which is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1179564/impact-assessment-review-scheme-cost-branded-medicines-updated-21-august-2023.pdf

2% allowed growth per annum represents an 80% rise in allowed growth compared to the 1.1% per annum which applied from 2019 to 2023. The proposal is consistent with the approach that underpinned the current statutory scheme’s 1.1% allowed growth, i.e., it equals the average allowed growth of the preceding voluntary scheme. The Government welcomes responses on all aspects of this consultation. The impact assessment will be updated with consideration to evidence provided by companies and other stakeholders when the Department publishes its consultation response.

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