Welsh to get new drugs faster than English

The All Wales Medicines Strategy Group should complete an appraisal of new drugs within six months of receiving a drugmaker's submission, if  the product is not on the National Institute for Health and Clinical  Excellence's (NICE) review program. This would allow a decision for  National Health Service patients in Wales to receive speedier access to  agents that are approved on safety and efficacy grounds by the national  or European drug regulators.

Edwina Hart, the Health Minister for Wales, also said that the AWMSG  should consider the issue of allowing co-payments, in line with  recommendations made for England by Michael Richards, the UK  government's "cancer czar" (Marketletters passim). She added that "this  will greatly reduce the inconsistencies that have been seen in accessing  some new drugs across Wales and improve the care and outcomes for  patients. I believe it will also make the process much simpler and more  transparent for the NHS and patients."

NHS patients in Wales are exempt from paying for prescription medicines,  unlike the rest of the UK, and the AWMSG can approve the coverage of  drugs not yet reviewed by the NICE.