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 and guidance for completion are available for pharmaceutical companies.
SMC Advice for drugs accepted with a PAS
- icatibant (Firazyr) 30mg solution for injection in pre-filled syringe No. (476/08)
- tocilizumab (RoActemra) No. (754/12)
- erlotinib (Tarceva) No. (749/11)
- ranibizumab, 10mg/mL solution for injection (Lucentis®) No. (711/11)
- azacitidine (Vidaza) No. (589/09)
- mifamurtide (Mepact) No. (621/10)
- nilotinib (Tasigna) No. (709/11)
- sunitinib, 12.5mg, 25mg, 37.5mg, 50mg hard capsules (Sutent) No. (698/11)
- pazopanib, 200mg, 400mg film-coated tablets (Votrient) No. (676/11)
- degarelix, 120mg and 80mg powder and solvent for solution for injection (Firmagon) No. (560/09)
- eslicarbazepine, 800mg tablet (Zebinix) No. (592/09)
- certolizumab, 200mg/ml solution for injection (prefilled syringe) (Cimzia) No. (590/09)
- bortezomib, 3.5mg vial of powder for solution for intravenous injection (Velcade) No. (302/06)
- sunitinib, 12.5mg, 25mg, 50mg hard capsules (Sutent) No. (275/06)
- ustekinumab, 45mg solution for injection (Stelara) No. (572/09)
- cetuximab, 100mg/20mL and 500mg/100mL solution for intravenous infusion (Erbitux®) No. (543/09)
PAS submitted with a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Multiple Technology Appraisal (MTA)
All PAS submitted with a NICE MTA must be evaluated for acceptability in Scotland by PASAG and the MTA endorsed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Separate guidance is available for pharmaceutical companies, which can be obtained from Healthcare Improvement Scotland by emailing: eleanor.brownlee@nhs.net. Details on NICE MTAs that have been endorsed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland can be viewed at www.nhsqis.org/.