UK should "reform NHS, scrap NICE and allow DTC advertising"

A representative of the US Department of Health and Human Services has sparked controversy in the UK by calling for a more free market oriented system for drug firms. Alex Azar, the US Deputy Health Secretary, argued that the restrictions on drugs being available for prescribing within the National Health Service were damaging to innovation, as well as restricting the potential benefits of competition between drugmakers, in the form of lower drug prices. Mr Azar also expressed support for direct-to-consumer advertising, a position that was met with alarm by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

A spokesman for the ABPI told the Marketletter that Mr Azar's proposals on DTC advertising were "not suitable for the UK environment," claiming that the quasi-monopoly of NHS drug supply meant that informing the general public was "unnecessary" and had "no public support."

Mr Azar was visiting London to talk about the reforms to the Medicare system, including the prescription drug benefit (Marketletters passim). He suggested that adopting a similar safety net for people on low incomes and the elderly could be an option for the UK, allowing people to pay extra for additional services on a voluntary basis.