UK Rx Spending Favors Drugmakers: Report

The Department of Health gets slapped around a bit for spending millions more on drugs than it should, often because lower-cost generic alternatives aren’t pursued for common ailments such as cholesterol, blood pressure and acid reflux, according to a report by the UK’s Office of Fair Trading. A key recommendation is to replace the current system with one that focuses more on patients and paying for medicines that offer more therapeutic benefits.

“Focusing on the needs of patients rather than on the costs of drug companies would be good for both patients and for business,” says OTF chief John Fingleton. “It would allow more patients better access to more effective treatments, and it would focus drug company innovation and investment on the areas where patients need it the most, creating more valuable drugs in the future.”

Silly question: Why wasn’t a national health department focused on patient needs in the first place?