In February 2009 the RCP published the working part report Innovating For Health, Patients, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS. It is the final product of a multi-sector working party convened by the College President to examine the relationship between the NHS, academic medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, and identify policies that would encourage a dynamic, productive and sustainable relationship between all three sectors.
Summary
Innovating for health: Patients, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS identifies a number of critical threats to clinical research in the UK. These coalesce around two key themes:
- Patient disillusionment with medicines policy. Evidence submitted to the group suggests that patients remain concerned that they do not enjoy equal access to medicines, nor do they believe that the full range of innovative medicines that are available is brought to their to attention, thus undermining their confidence in the entire prescribing process. Patients sampled also confirm a willingness to participate in clinical trials, or other drug related research but report a lack of opportunity.
- A failure of trust between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry. There are also major issues in the relationship between industry and the medical profession in recent years, with education being one of the most contentious areas. Well respected physicians contend that continuing professional development programmes are too dependent on industry support, while the industry cites widespread ambivalence within the NHS and academia towards working with them as a key obstacle to future innovation. To address these challenges, the group has formulated a series of steps they believe can help to restore trust and promote the effective exchange of ideas between sectors. The common theme cutting across the 42 recommendations is a drive to redefine the terms of engagement between the NHS, academic medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry, with the health and well-being of the patient as the over-riding objective. Related Links Exec Summary (attached)