Letter regarding 'low value' prescriptions

NHS England, working with NHS Clinical Commissioners, has announced plans to reduce the money spent on ‘low value’ or ‘no value’ prescriptions. These include:

• Products of low clinical effectiveness or where there is a lack of robust evidence of clinical effectiveness
• Products which are clinically effective but where more cost-effective products are available
• Medicines which are clinically effective but due to the nature of the conditions and easy access to the products, are low priority for NHS funding
• Items which are clinically effective but due to the nature of the product, are deemed a low priority, e.g. some gluten-free foods currently available on NHS prescription.

Decisions of ‘value’ must be based on what matters to people. What a patient values may differ from what the system values.

National Voices does not support the continued prescription of ineffective or ‘no value’ treatments. However, guidance on the prescribing of ‘low value’ or ‘no value’ products must avoid unintended consequences.

In a letter to NHS Clinical Commissioners and NHS England. National Voices offers to work with them on development of the guidance.