The NHS has saved taxpayers £1.2 billion in just three years, while securing cutting-edge treatments for patients, by using its buying power to negotiate better prices for hundreds of hospital medicines.
The adoption of cheaper versions of a single drug – adalimumab – which is used to treat more than 45,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis, has accounted for about one third of the savings.
After the exclusive patent on the drug – originally known as its brand name Humira – expired in 2018, the NHS struck cost-saving deals to bulk-buy generic versions, which have the same quality, safety and efficacy of a branded one.
Since then, tens of millions of pounds have been saved by buying cheaper generic versions of other medicines for conditions ranging from severe skin infections to aggressive blood cancers.
Four in five medicines prescribed in the NHS are now non-branded, helping the NHS to achieve significant savings while ensuring the continuity of high-quality patient care.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “Smart deals by the NHS mean patients are getting the best medicines and taxpayers are getting best value.
“The NHS has once again shown our commercial power to secure cutting-edge treatments for patients while freeing up £1.2 billion of taxpayers’ money, through negotiating better prices for high volumes of branded and non-branded drugs – ensuring that our frontline staff have the necessary medicines to support high-quality patient care wherever you live.
“From better value treatment for arthritis to a ‘one-shot’ jab for spinal muscular atrophy, this approach is part of our NHS Long Term Plan, giving patients access to the latest life-changing medicines as early as possible as well as ensuring every NHS pound is spent wisely.”
