Patient charities set out a shared vision for the next VPAS scheme. Cancer52 have joined forces with the Charity Medicines Access Coalition (CMAC), and the Blood Cancer Alliance, representing nearly 200 charities. Together we are calling for six key tests to be met under the next voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access (VPAS) scheme. We believe these will ensure people and communities benefit from new treatments, the NHS able to make best use of its budget and the UK is an attractive location for global life science research investment.
The VPAS is designed to make the UK an attractive place to bring medicines to market whilst also making sure that spending on medicines grows at a manageable rate. However, in recent years the scheme has not gone far enough in achieving its objectives to make innovative medicines accessible across all disease areas.
The negotiations should:
Focus on people and their needs at all stages of negotiation and design of the new scheme, based on meaningful engagement with communities.
Ensure faster and equitable access to new, innovative and effective medicines.
Ensure transparency in how decisions around medicines access are made.
Enable innovation in how drugs are priced to deliver value for the health system and for people.
Support action to enhance NHS data collection to make the best of medicines.
Facilitate a joined-up approach to medicines which brings together relevant stakeholders around a single strategy for improving medicines access.