Patient Access Schemes
A Patient Access Scheme (PAS) is a scheme proposed by a pharmaceutical company in order to improve the cost-effectiveness of a medicine and enable patients to receive access to cost-effective innovative medicines. A Patient Access Scheme Assessment Group (PASAG), established under the auspices of NHS National Services Scotland, reviews and advises NHS Scotland on the feasibility of proposed schemes for implementation. The PASAG operates separately from SMC in order to maintain the integrity and independence of the assessment process of the SMC. When SMC accepts a medicine for use in NHS Scotland on the basis of a patient access scheme that has been accepted by PASAG, an implementation pack, which describes the operation of the scheme will be circulated to Area Drug and Therapeutics Committees and NHS Boards together with the SMC advice.
An industry application pack, guidance for completion and briefing paper re PAS in Primary Care are available for pharmaceutical companies. When making a PAS submission to PASAG, the pharmaceutical company is required to confirm their acceptance of NHS Scotland Standard Terms for PAS.
Click Here for SMC Advice for drugs accepted with a PAS.