UK's NICE launches new medicines advisory service

The UK drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) last Friday launched new service to provide advice on new medicines to the National Health Service and patient in England about the best available evidence for selected new medicines, or for existing medicines with new indications.

Produced by NICE’s Medicines and Prescribing Centre (which was formed following the transfer into NICE of the National Prescribing Centre in April 2011 and is part of the Centre for Clinical Practice), the Evidence summaries: new medicines are aimed at commissioners, budget holders and groups such as Area Prescribing Committees. They do not constitute formal NICE guidance but are designed to support the managed introduction of selected new medicines or new indications for existing medicines not covered by NICE’s Technology Appraisal program by providing quality-assured summaries of the best available evidence about their use. Topics for Evidence summaries: new medicines will be considered either at the point of product launch, or up to 12 months in advance of launch. NICE expects to publish advice on 20 new medicines every year.

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