Improving access to new medicines and vaccines

Medicines are transforming our lives like never before. We want the UK to be the best place in the world to research, develop and use the medicines of the future. 

Medicines and vaccines have played a crucial role in increasing UK life expectancy by 11 years since 1960. Over the last 40 years, cancer survival rates have doubled, and HIV/AIDS has been transformed into a chronic, manageable condition.

We work in partnership with the UK Government, the devolved nations and the NHS so patients can get new treatments faster and the NHS can plan how much it spends on medicines.

Cancer in the UK -  Digital Data Toolkit

The data in the toolkit is drawn from the Institute for Health Economics Comparator Report on Patients Access to Cancer Medicines Revisited - a UK Perspective.

Supply chain

A marketing authorisation works to ensure that when a medicine reaches a patient it works in the same high quality way every time.

Rare diseases

A rare disease is officially classified as a condition that affects less than 5 in 10,000 in the general population, but smaller numbers of patients should not mean less focus on treating them.

Managing medicine shortages

Every day millions of patients rely on medicines supplied by the pharmaceutical industry.

Vaccines

Vaccination has saved more lives and prevented more serious diseases than any advance in recent medical history. Every year, 2 – 3 million lives are saved across the world because of immunisation.

Counterfeiting

The manufacture and selling of counterfeit medicines is an issue of increasing concern throughout the world. There are potentially fatal consequences for those who inadvertently take such products.

NHS-Industry Partnership Case Studies Repository

The ABPI and its members are working towards creating a repository of NHS Partnerships case studies, to enable industry to demonstrate what we can achieve in collaboration with the health and care system. 

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health issue requiring multiple solutions and a sustained, coordinated response. The pharmaceutical industry is committed to tackling AMR working alongside governments and NGOs.

Working with the NHS

The UK should aspire to nothing less than a health and care system that delivers the best patient outcomes in the world. We believe that a strong partnership between NHS and industry is the best way to improve outcomes for patients now and in the future. 

Medicine pricing

How are medicines priced?

How are new medicines developed?

What was the PPRS?

What is the life cycle of a medicine?

Improving access to medicine in the UK

The future of medicine

What is the NICE Methods Review?