NICE stripped of powers

[Jenny]

NICE (the UK drug rationing org) is to lose the power to turn down new drugs for use in NHS. May be good news for us....


http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/29/nice-to-lose-new-drug-power

Jenny

 

[Esther12]

I've always been pretty supportive of NICE as an approach to rationing, and even their CFS guidance was an improvement on what was taking place before imo.

If the pharmaceutical companies are that keen on the change, it probably means it's a bad deal for tax-payers.

 

[Enid]

Sounds great to me that the new Health Minister is intervening (and in this case changing the powers of a public body). I think things should improve now for ME and all the troubles of neglect and ignorance. Good on you Andrew Lansley!

 

[Sasha]

I honestly don't know what to think about this. I think any change in a major policy has unintended consequences. The most obvious one here is the potential for "postcode lottery" or even "individual GP lottery".

In the short term, perhaps it could be a good thing for PWC because at the moment, no drug is approved for us; further down the line, if XMRV pans out and drugs start to come on line, it may seem like more of a mixed blessing.

I wonder if anyone will manage to get Ampligen?!

 

[George]

O.k. this is a really silly question cause I don't really understand the set up in the UK but do you think this could be the kind of policy change that was going on behind the scenes before the UK can "let XMRV out of the bag" kinda thing???

 

[Sasha]

O.k. this is a really silly question cause I don't really understand the set up in the UK but do you think this could be the kind of policy change that was going on behind the scenes before the UK can "let XMRV out of the bag" kinda thing???

Don't think so because it's right across the board for all medical treatment in the UK and would immediately apply to much larger patient groups (cancer, for a start). Also, I think that if the NHS are looking at XMRV drugs down the line they'll produce general guidelines that most doctors would follow because they wouldn't know what else to do - and I don't think they would start treating healthy XMRV+ people at this stage (who really would be a huge patient population).

 

[lancelot]

That's NICE!!!!

 

[free at last]

Agreed its going to take alot more evidence from you guys to let XMRV out the bag in this country, if simon wessley developed ME with positve XMRV diagnosis from Myra mclure he probably would go into hiding as well as denial.

Excuse me where is proff wessley lately ? hes a little run down awaiting treatment and availabillity of drug supllies, due to heavy snowfall across the british isles. but hell be back when hes condition settles down.

Simon slips quitely into kings college, to check hes emails, and see if that pest Judy M has made any new breakthroughs. Darn it now Harvey Alter belives her. quick think ? ? ? what to do, what to do, what to

MYRA GET THAT SECOND COHORT READY THE ONES THAT FELT A BIT TIRED, HAD NO BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF DISEASE. AND KEPT PULLING AT MY LEG FOR A HAPPY PILL.

Already on it Simon. Ah Myra your such a friend, you know if me and the missus hadnt have hit it off, Me and you could have been good together.
I dont mind being second best Simon, and mums the word you know. really myra, yes simon. no realllyyyy myraaaa. oh yessssssss Simonnnnn. mmmmm Myra

 

[lancelot]

Simon slips quitely into kings college, to check hes emails, and see if that pest Judy M has made any new breakthroughs. Darn it now Harvey Alter belives her. quick think ? ? ? what to do, what to do, what to

MYRA GET THAT SECOND COHORT READY THE ONES THAT FELT A BIT TIRED, HAD NO BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF DISEASE. ABD KEPT PULLING AT MY LEG FOR A HAPPY PILL.

Already on it Simon. Ah Myra your such a friend, you know if me and the missus hadnt have hit it off, Me and you could have been good together.
I dont mind being second best Simon, and mums the word you know. really myra, yes simon. no realllyyyy myraaaa. oh yessssssss Simonnnnn. mmmmm Myra

:Sign Good one::Sign Good one::Sign Good one:

 

[wdb]

If cost effectiveness is not being comprehensively assessed what is going to happen to drug prices ?

 

[paddygirl]

i know where Simon is...

Just curled up by the fire reading The Girl Who Played with Fire (Larsson) and I could swear Simon is hiding out on pg 354, the likeness is uncanny. Pity that brilliant writer died, he had the same scalpel pen as Hilary Johnson. You can tell how much he hated the Status Quo.

Paddy x x

 

[free at last]

Glad it made you smile pg, Hey maybe we could do a series titled wheres simon ? yeah i hated the status quo too, too much hair and rocking back and forth. I get your meaning now pg, just looked it up, it is uncanny isnt it.

Dont forget the issue here everyone, apologies ive let the issue wander.

 

[WillowJ]

Sounds good to me! the folks from the article ("supporters of NICE", funny they couldn't say what ones) who brought up the postcode lottery sounds like a scare tactic.

Lansley wants the decision on whether a patient should get a drug to be moved back to the patient's doctor. The local commissioning body will be asked to agree to pay for it. The cost of the drug will be decided through a new "value-based pricing" system. The NHS will negotiate with the manufacturer on a price for each new drug, taking into account not only how clinically effective it is and how it reduces the burden on the patient's carers but also what other treatments are available and how "innovative" the company has been in producing the drug.

The health secretary told the Guardian that reforming the way medicines were paid for would help ensure money was spent wisely.

Sounds like they have a plan. Doctors practicing medicine is always better than politicians practicing medicine.