According to the GP Organisation ‘Pulse’, NHS managers are banning GP’s from prescribing high cost drugs to try and make savings on prescription budgets. Over 50% of PCO’s (Primary Care Organisations) have in the past year brought in drug blacklists that will no longer be funded by the NHS.
Health boards and Primary care trusts are drawing up plans which they estimate will cut a whopping £250m of this years budget for drugs. ‘Pulse’ questioned over 134 PCO’s, using the Freedom of Information Act, and this is where it was revealed that over half now have blacklists. Some lists contain over 100 drugs which GP’s are now unable to prescribe to NHS patients.
‘Pulse’ has also claimed that 73 of the PCO’s they questioned have added more drugs to their blacklists or placed further restrictions on primary care prescribing in the last 12 months. Their aim is to make an average estimate saving of £1.9m each over 2011/12
The lists of blacklisted drugs include the Diabetes medication Gliptins and Denosumab, which is used to treat Osteoporosis. The reason given for other drugs being blacklisted is that they are of ‘low clinical priority’. This group includes some of the new contraceptive pills, drugs to treat Parkinson’s Disease, homeopathic remedies and Orlistat, prescribed for weight loss.
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