ABPI sues UK govt over Rx drug switching, claims payments to GPs are "illegal"

The UK's drug industry is to mount a legal challenge in an attempt to prevent the proliferation of National Health Service schemes to switch patients to cheaper medication, via what it considers to be "unsafe" drug switching programs. Lawyers for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry have secured a judicial review of the practise, and will argue patients are being put at risk and general practitioners are illegally paid to participate.

The Department of Health has responded to legal moves from the industry by issuing urgent guidance to primary care trusts on how to operate schemes safely, insisting patients must be individually assessed and warning against inappropriate payments to GPs for switching patients to cheaper drugs en masse.

Two areas of concern for ABPI: lack of patient consent and GP payments