The Pharmaceutical Industry
The UK pharmaceutical industry generates the third highest profit in the country and provides around 10% of all global drugs research and development, but questions have been asked about the industry's use of the media to promote drugs, and the pricing of its treatments.
Pharmaceutical involvement in the media
In recent years individual pharmaceutical companies have featured in news articles discussing patients' stories and their battles with NICE to secure the companies' drugs.
King's Fund economist John Appleby said: "The media and the public are in a sense co-opted into a strategy by pharmaceutical companies to put pressure on government and to put pressure on NICE."
Dr Bob Coates, has concerns:
ABPI spokesman says pharmaceutical companies can only provide the information when asked, and cannot be responsible for journalistic output:
Cost of drugs excessive?
The cost of drugs is a regular bone of contention.
It is estimated that each drug treatment takes £550 million pounds and around 10 to 12 years to develop.
ABPI's Richard Ley argues that cost criticisms cannot be justified:
The pricing scheme of pharmaceutical companies is currently being analyzed by a government Health Select Committee.
Conservative MP John Baron thinks a risk-sharing agreement between drug companies and the NHS is possible and points to a recent decision over the drug Velcade, for a rare form of bone marrow cancer:
But academics are not so convinced.
Professor of Cancer Medicine, Karol Sikora said: "It's not applicable generally, and that's a one-off case. All the other schemes where that has been tried have all packed up because it is all judgemental and the company are going to want to get the total amount of money (earnt) to be the same."
Roy Castle Patient Director Joyce Dunlop feels the agreement is a positive step but much needs to be considered: