FOI – 000256 Primary Care Rebates for medical devices & pharmaceuticals (HTML)
Date received - 17 October 2022 | Date responded - 08 November 2022
Request
Please can you provide the product names with start and finish dates of all your agreed primary care rebates (for medical devices & pharmaceuticals) and please distinguish which rebates (if any) are aligned to PrescQIPP and which are independently agreed with the manufacturer?
Please can you advise if any of your agreed rebates are conditional on achieving increased volumes/ market shares?
Please can you outline the process of how you review and evaluate the rebates presented to you?
Can you please explain if each rebate agreed is available to all Health Boards
Please can you also provide a copy of your rebate policy for NSS?
Response
I refer to your freedom of information request that we received on 17 October 2022. I can advise you that we have now completed the search of our records and can provide you with the following information:
Please can you provide the product names with start and finish dates of all your agreed primary care rebates (for medical devices & pharmaceuticals) and please distinguish which rebates (if any) are aligned to PrescQIPP and which are independently agreed with the manufacturer?
Please find attached Appendix 1 detailing NHS Scotland primary care rebate schemes which have been agreed separate to the Patient Access Scheme arrangements.
Primary care rebates are also a standard feature of NHS Scotland Patient Access Schemes which are agreed when products are being reviewed by the Scottish Medicines Consortium, regardless of whether the medicine will in practice be supplied in primary care. A list of medicines with Patient Access Schemes can be found on the Scottish Medicines Consortium website at https://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/medicines-advice. All the listed schemes have been agreed independently of PrescQIPP.
In addition, please find attached Appendix 3 – Stoma Community Arrangements, which details rebates that have been individually agreed with the manufacturer.
Please can you advise if any of your agreed rebates are conditional on achieving increased volumes/ market shares?
Complex scheme types such as volume or market-share based schemes can introduce significant complexity and burden for the NHS and pharmaceutical companies and their perceived financial benefits may not be fully realised in practice, therefore they would only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. There are a very small number of complex rebate agreements.
Please can you outline the process of how you review and evaluate the rebates presented to you?
Please find attachedappendix 2 which outlines the process of how rebate schemes are reviewed and evaluated.
Can you please explain if each rebate agreed is available to all Health Boards?
National Services Scotland (NSS) enters both primary care rebate schemes and Patient Access Schemes on behalf of all Health Boards.
Please can you also provide a copy of your rebate policy for NSS?
Appendix 2 (attached) is guidance on the assessment process for primary care rebate schemes which are proposed separate to the Patient Access Scheme arrangements: The Principles for PCRS in NHS Scotland can be found at Appendix 1 (page 4).
Guidance on primary care rebate arrangements as a component of Patient Access Schemes can be found online at:
https://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/media/5635/pas801-018-v9-nhsscotland-pas-guidance.pdf
Queries about primary care rebate schemes can be directed to NSS.PCHC@nhs.scot.
I trust you will find the information of assistance and if you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Contact
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Address
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