A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT of the restructuring was the creation of a new employee career development framework. Business Unit Manager Steve Ferguson was charged with fleshing out the scope of the project, now named Project RADICAL (Realising Ambition, Developing Individuals and Careers at Lundbeck).

Steve Ferguson

Jayne Donkin

Chris Pound

Stephen Frost

SOWHYARE PHARMA COMPANIES still persisting in their traditional “share of voice” sales approach to doctors, supported by a sales force numbering thousands in the UK alone? Has not the time come for a more targeted, relevant approach to sales and marketing that reflects the dramatic change that has taken place throughout the health service over the last few years? Today’s influence networks are very different – without an in–depth understanding of their composition and relevance to a specific clinical area, pharma companies cannot achieve the sophistication required to launch new products successfully in this highly competitive, often oversubscribed marketplace. Changing Role There is little doubt that, irrespective of political influence, there will be no turning back from the changes that have been made to deliver improved financial control and management across the NHS, particularly the centralised prescribing process. No government will be able to afford to provide health care free of charge at the point of delivery unless the cost of treatment is tightly controlled and monitored. The changes now being forced upon the health service in France are evidence of a universal trend. The move, therefore, towards the creation of centralised formularies at Primary Care Organisation (PCO) level will continue, offering the GP clearly defined prescribing options and financial penalties for any off–formulary activity. So where does this leave the GP and the thousands of pharmaceutical sales reps? While no longer the primary influencer of prescribing, the GP is still the interface with the patient and can make a prescribing choice between drugs, albeit only those on formulary. However their influence has waned dramatically and the pharmaceutical companies cannot persist in focusing their efforts exclusively on the GPs any more. To attain influence in the new NHS, the sales process has got to change. PCO Focus Pharmaceutical companies have got to refocus on their efforts on the new areas of prescribing influence – notably the Strategic Health Authorities, PCOs and PCTs, those organisations that determine the formulary. But just who are the key influences within these organisations? Even those pharmaceutical companies that have begun to create NHS Liaison Teams and Regional Account Directors tasked with supporting specific PCOs still need to understand who the Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are within this new environment. Furthermore they need to take a far more sophisticated message to the market. Not only must the drug be shown to be efficacious but it must also be cost–effective and deliver demonstrable benefit to the NHS, from a reduction in hospital admissions to a decrease in side–effects that could demand additional medication or attention. As a result there is a growing awareness of the need not only to deliver product specific information to the PCT but to provide that information within an overall treatment regime. This approach demonstrates the extended efficacy of new–style therapies – a practice increasingly supported by joint funding between pharmaceutical companies and local NHS providers. New Model To support this new sales role, innovative pharmaceutical companies are actually recruiting medical practitioners, indeed pulling highly educated researchers out of the labs and into a sales and marketing role, to meet the challenge of PCO–focused sales strategies. With salaries up to three times that of a typical pharmaceutical rep, the quality, experience, expertise and knowledge of this new sales breed represents a significant change for pharmaceutical companies. And where does this leave the traditional rep sales force? GPs still need product information to inform their choice of on-formulary drugs; and pharma companies need to reinforce their brands over the competition, ensuring products achieve first–line prescribing status. With an estimated 20% of new drug marketing now being targeted direct at the patient and patient self-prescribing up by 40%, doctors need up to date information to enable a relevant dialogue with the patient.* Initiatives such as the Expert Patient Program and Choose & Book will further reinforce the role of patients in determining their own choice of healthcare provision. Furthermore there is a need to meet evolving GP needs, not only to provide standard product information but to support the new increased budgetary focus through improved quality and a wider range of information that supports the total management of a patient’s condition. Certainly eDetailing is set to play an increasingly important role, enabling pharmaceutical companies to target GPs with relevant information, providing access on demand to support specific patient problems or queries. But the direct GP sales force will retain a role. But will the role of the rep be reduced to simply providing product merchandise, or can pharma companies leverage the existing skill base to deliver the new levels of patient management required to reinforce brand awareness and demonstrate product efficacy on a broader, patient centred basis? And, as the requirements of the GP focused sales force change, the qualifications and qualities of those fulfilling that role will change too, opening up opportunities perhaps to utilise the strong, and growing, part–time workforce. Pharma companies hoping to continue the established model of promotion in secondary care will also find new NHS initiatives impacting on the autonomy of physicians. Practice–based commissioning is the latest example of an increasing shift of power to primary care in determining long–term treatment of patients. Conclusion The health market has changed, significantly. With increasingly fierce competition and a highly crowded marketplace, a strong GP/rep relationship and a share of noise sales approach will be increasingly ineffective in today’s centralised prescribing model. To be successful, pharmaceutical companies have to provide relevant and high quality information, from highly trained, highly educated personnel, to a new breed of influencers, those within the strategic health authorities, PCOs and PCTs. It is those pharmaceutical companies that identify the relevant Key Opinion Leaders and, critically, deliver the right message that combines product efficacy with health service value, that will forge a strong position within the new NHS. * Statistics from CAM.

Pharma in the dock The case for the prosecution goes: large pharmaceutical companies are raking in huge sums of money, peddling drugs and devices to the ‘consumer’ at extortionate costs. Worse still, the voluntary code of practice and current regulatory bodies do not appear to be sufficiently robust to prevent unsafe drugs from being marketed for public use. How many times have you heard this? Have you noticed how frequently and ferociously this battle is raging in the corridors of hospitals, government buildings and research laboratories? It appears that pharma is once again under attack from various institutions and groups, some of which are having a significant impact on public perception. The case for the defence goes: researching molecules for new life-saving treatments requires millions of pounds of investment. Given that only one or two molecules will make it to the shelf, the cost of that product requires profit to make up for all the unsuccessful research. Once it is licensed and available, marketing and advertising are needed to ‘brand’ the molecule for prescribers and influencers, as the time available to reap profits is limited by patent laws that eventually allow generic manufacturers to ‘copy’ the end product of significant investments. Furthermore, the pharma industry contributes not only to research and development, funding of disease treatments and healthcare infrastructure, but to the economy as a whole. To shoot the industry would be to shoot our economy and healthcare – for without pharma there would be no treatments. And without treatments there would ultimately be no hope. The clouds gather I used to find it easier to give prescribing advice. I suspect prescribing itself was easier in the past. Now there are more complexities. The number of influences on my view of clinical data will be altered by edicts from significant organisations and authorities. So whereas, say, ten years ago I would look at the evidence from a clinical trial, take note of what the company was saying and then look at cost-effectiveness, I now need to include the following in the equation: • NICE (opinion, recommendation, guidance, avoidance, outright ban) • MHRA (warnings, safety, doubt, further decisions, fear, worry, anxiety) • EMEA (rules and regulations, licencing, data, member states not agreeing) • FDA (licensing, as for EMEA but can affect decisions in UK) • SMC (yet to make a decision that conflicts with NICE) • NSF (service delivery, standards, priorities, support of non-drug approaches) It’s not surprising that Area Prescribing and Drugs and Therapeutics Committees all over the country are having considerable difficulty in assessing new medicines in a rational way. In fact, there has been significant concern that issues affecting postcode prescriptions are still creating a lottery for the availability of a variety of treatments, including cancer chemotherapies. Surviving the storm How do pharmaceutical companies deal with these issues? It is difficult to promote a drug when a public campaign or MHRA warning is recommending a negative view, causing public confidence in the product to wane. Sales reps and pharmacists are both caught up in this. Pharmaceutical companies are struggling in two ways: how does the head office come up with rapid responses to negative recommendations that would reduce the impact of sales materials and campaigns; and how can this strategy best be put across to the pharmacist? It’s not an easy task. I have just read a warning on your product, and you want to see me in order to counter the effect of the warning! The MHRA Created on April 1 2003, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency consisted of a merger of the MCA (Medicines Control Agency) and the MDA (Medical Devices Agency). In general, while medicines are perceived clearly, the nature of ‘devices’ is less well understood. They range from inhalers, needles and syringes to breast implants and tongue depressors. Since its inception, significant criticism has been levied against the MHRA. The MHRA has its own targets and quality standards for decision making. They are certainly trying to improve their communications: their annual report has emphasised the need to enhance the tone of the group’s reporting. Now I am seeing communications as never before, with the MHRA not only producing new bulletins, warnings and safety alerts on a regular basis but also trying to reach out to patients and pharmacists, asking them to give “help and assistance” and to be “proactive” in reporting side-effects, problems and issues surrounding medicines that are in the public interest. They have recently come under criticism for their dual role: protecting the public and preserving the interests of the pharmaceutical industry (which provides most of the funding for the MHRA). One can see how their independence would come under scrutiny. Which way the wind blows For once, the Matrix is unsure. What will happen from here on? Will the public interest be served? Perhaps more importantly, will this be the perception that is created? How will pharma prepare itself for an MHRA warning to tell parents and patients of the risk of liver failure that occurs in 1/50,000 users of a drug? Only one thing is certain. The climate will change . . . and so will you and I. Keep an eye on the weather.

OMAR ALI is the Formulary Development Pharmacist for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and is a PCT Formulary Adviser to 2 PCTs. He is a lecturer on the MSc on Pharmacy Practice at Portsmouth University and is also an adviser to three Drugs and Therapeutics Committees in the South of England. Omar is a National Speaker in the UK (cardiovascular, diabetes, mental health) and is an Executive Board Member for the National Obesity Forum. He can be reached directly on ‘alipha@aol.com’

Getting to grips with thinking about the NHS these days isn’t easy. A lot more money is being spent and so much is going right, so why doesn’t it feel better than it does. Why is it so difficult not to harbour an uneasy sense of trouble ahead? Mr. Blair and his advisors must be thinking the same thoughts and unfortunately we can’t help him. For example, in February:

• the new allocations to PCTs were announced
• the remaining section of the Renal Services National Service Framework was published.
• a national review was announced of genito-urinary medicine as part of the process of transforming sexual health services
• a review of cancer treatment said that most people’s experience was improved – although there was still more to do
• Chlamydia screening is to be offered on the high street increasing numbers of people stopped smoking
• a national Strategic Partnership Forum will review the agreement with the voluntary sector
• £41 million more was given to improve learning disability services
• it was announced that hospitals will be rewarded with cash for meeting A&E targets
• councils’ spending on personal social services was up 11%
• statutory regulation was proposed for herbal medicine and acupuncture
• patient waits are still coming down and long waits for cataract services have been eliminated – with the independent sector being given some of the credit
• £1 million is available to buy diagnostic imaging services from the independent sector to cut waiting times even more
• the funding process was tweaked to ensure that the PACS programme did not get diverted.

Not a bad output for just one month! Get the clinicians to give a bit more information and patients would be even happier. Provided, of course, that hospitals were cleaner. MRSA still has a very high profile, but a bird flu pandemic to worry about, with talk of some 50,000 likely to die, could divert attention for a while. Things aren’t yet so good with mental health services, and the flurry of activity in this area continued with a Guidance on mental health services for those in prison, Guidance on mental health services for the deaf and a Review of mental health nursing. The real political problems around the corner are to do with competition between hospitals with the losers going to the wall, conflicts between the NHS and the private sector, and the seemingly endless urge to reform everything so that it is modernised (whatever that means). Polly Toynbee quotes the statistic that although 66% of people say “my local NHS is providing me with good service”, only 48% think that this applies nationally. Could it be that NHS professionals working hard at the coalface provide the local view, while the national view is fashioned by politicians? Roll on the election! The sooner it is history the better.

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“A bird flu pandemic could divert attention for a while . . .” It will be some time yet with much more piloting, before any definite direction emerges to chronic disease management services. In February, an evaluation of the Evercare CDM system said that hospital avoidance was less than was expected, but of course the company could offer seemingly good reasons why this was so. One major problem appears to be the lack of really clear objectives, so that it is difficult to say what success is. The measurement should be some cost effectiveness of patient benefit but we are a long way from getting firm answers. The NatPaCT site at www.natpact.nhs.uk/news/index.php?article_request=1315 offers a range of downloadable presentations from the Supporting People with Long-Term Conditions events held in February, which give a good idea of the present work.

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Why do you think that Lilly have been named as Employer of Choice for the second year running? This success is a phenomenal achievement for the whole company. The fact that we have now been named as Number 1 for the second year running – which has never been done before – shows level of excitement in the industry around Lilly. We have set ourselves apart through our outstanding pipeline that we promised and delivered. We have shown that we have a well deserved belief in future of products and present. Our company culture has been another factor in our success. We are a very big team, with all the support and infrastructure that goes along with it. But within that unit we work hard to respect the individual. Our success is not just about profit and revenue. It is about the strength of our ethos – the confidence of our own employees who report good relationships with line managers and are motivated by the substantial personal and career development and opportunities they are offered. It is the excitement of our employees out in the field which I believe has lead to the perception of Lilly as being the No. 1 employer. What does this achievement mean to the management team at Lilly? This is great recognition for us all: management, sales teams and support because it really shows strength of feeling out there. This kind of recognition cannot be bought and is very special because it really lives up to our branding aspirations – we want people to know they are in the right organisation and that their development and future is important to us. What does it take to be successful within Lilly? Commitment, passion and belief every single day. Every single interaction that we make has to have a customer focus. Its also vital to have a dedication to build your own career– joining forces for the future, and feeling valued regardless of role and seniority.

HOWEVER it is when we are exposed to persistent and continuous levels of stress that we risk damaging our health. Over time irritability, tiredness and headaches can lead to ulcers, exhaustion and severe depression. It is not unknown for sufferers of stress to seek relief through alcohol or drugs, which leads to further complications Stress affects employees throughout all levels of an organisation. A recent survey at a large NHS hospital discovered that senior managers suffered from more stress complaints than junior managers. However each level of management blamed the level above for increasing the amount of stress throughout the whole organisation. Whilst employers have a duty of care to look after the health and safety of employees, many people feel that the stigma surrounding stress prevents them from talking openly about it. Nevertheless do you really want to wait until you are unable to work effectively and have severely damaged your health before taking action? A far better plan would be to monitor your stress levels on a regular basis and take appropriate self help action. Recognise the symptoms of stress Most people perform better when subjected to small amounts of stress – indeed boredom can be more stressful than the challenge of work. However because people respond differently to stress and have differing stress thresholds it is important to recognise your first symptoms before they become too severe. For example do you get frequent headaches or clench your teeth. Do you become irritable and suffer from poor sleep patterns. Do you feel anxious and unable to cope? Many people are so busy being stressed that they only notice these symptoms when they try to unwind at the end of the day! Do you savour a glass of wine in the evening or do you need four or five glasses before your brain starts to relax? Write down your stressors Anything that causes you stress is known as a stressor. Write down a list of your stressors. It could include a person, situation, object or perceived threat. For example financial or children problems at home; being harassed at work or not having sufficient time to prepare for meetings. Is there a practical solution to any of these stressors? However much you try and control your stress, it will always remain with you unless you are able to eliminate the stressors or learn to manage them. Create an action plan Something committed to paper has far more chance of success than something that isn’t. Having written down your stressors, devise a plan of action to resolve/ eliminate/cope with them. For example if you are moving house then money spent paying for a removal firm to pack as well as transport your boxes may allow you extra time to complete important ‘must do tasks at work.’ If your budget does not stretch that far then can you share your workload? Can deadlines be negotiated? Your action plan should list what you can do, what you need help doing, and what must be discussed with others before you can even begin to understand the implications. Use your action plan when communicating your needs with others. Having already begun to devise a self help plan will make you appear a strong minded and practical person rather than being perceived as a whiner. Use your action plan to list priorities and tick them off as you achieve them. Nothing is more stress relieving than ticking off what you have achieved throughout the day! Communicate with others Tell someone how you feel. If it is your manager who is causing your stress then approach someone else. You don’t have to mention the ‘S’ word. Start by asking for help with sharing your workload or by requesting a change in someone’s behaviour. Often your colleagues will not have realised the pressure you are under or will not be conscious of their own inconsiderate behaviour. Stress in your personal life can often exacerbate stressful situations at work. For example a request to manage a colleagues workload due to holiday absence is something you have accomplished with ease in the past. However due to your imminent house move you worry that you will be unable to cope. Does your manager or do your work colleagues know about your house move. You cannot use every situation at home as an excuse to shed work however a well informed and competent manager should be able to recognise when you really need help-as long as you are open about what is happening in your life. Often discussing your problems with a friend, relative or work colleague is enough to help lighten the load. Satisfy your training needs As mentioned previously stress is often associated with a feeling of being unable to cope. If the stressors cannot be eliminated then it is only by learning how to manage them that you will reduce or at least control your stress. Practical courses such as time management or delegation skills are designed to teach you tools that enable you to perform tasks better. By learning and using these new skills your stress levels should decrease. Other appropriate courses might be assertiveness training (not being able to say NO is a major source of stress) or a stress management course. Communicating with yourself Next time you are in a stressful situation stop and listen to your inner voice. What is it saying to you? The chances are it is being critical. ‘I cannot do this.’ ‘Why am I being so thick?’ ‘Come on hurry up. Time is running out.’ Negative self-talk adds to your tension and the only way to eliminate it is to replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk. Prior to your next sales presentation or any other stressful situation fill your mind with positive thoughts such as ‘I feel good.’ I am the best.’ I can succeed.’ Smile as you think back on all the past success you have had. Take time to relax Make time for yourself. During particularly stressful days find time to walk in the park or have a cappuccino in a deli. At the end of stressful day or week do something for you. Relax both your mind and body. Sport and exercise is ideal if it releases your frustration and helps your mind unwind. However chose a sport that does not create even more tension and anxiety! If you are someone whose gym membership card has never been out of their wallet then absorb yourself in a hobby or activity. Relaxation therapies such as reflexology, massage or aromatherapy are particularly good as someone else takes responsibility for looking after you and the therapies themselves release tension from the body. Relaxing at home is often a contradiction as home maybe the stressor. So communicate with your loved ones. Tell them why you need some time and space to yourself. Find time for reflection If possible take a few minutes every day for reflection. Otherwise reflect as regularly as you can. Make a note of your current stress level. On a scale of 1to 10 how is it compared to previous days. Is your stress action plan working? Do you need to tip the scales further in favour of life on the work/life balance? Reflect on past decisions. Do you feel more in control? Do you need any more tools to add to your palette of coping mechanisms? Reflection should also be a time of relaxation. If reflection causes you anxiety as you worry about past mistakes and future obstacles then revisit your action plan. Be realistic about what you can achieve and make changes in your life one at a time. Stress is here to stay. It is far better to learn to live with it rather than die from it!

What is MRSA? MRSA is the name given to a group of bacteria that belong to the Staphylococcus aureus (SA) family of bacteria. Most Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can be treated with medicines called methicillin-type antibiotics. However, certain types of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria cannot be treated with methicillin-type antibiotics - the bacteria are resistant to these drugs. These are called MRSA bacteria: M – methicillin R – resistant S – Staphylococcus A – aureus.¹ How did MRSA become resistant to methicillin-type antibiotics? Whenever bacteria encounter an antibiotic (such as methicillin) some of the bacteria may be able to survive it. The surviving, methicillin-resistant bacteria can then multiply, potentially producing bacteria with even better resistance. The chances of resistant bacteria developing have been increased by: ^1,4 • failure to finish full courses of antibiotics, allowing bacteria with some resistance to survive and multiply • overuse of antibiotics, meaning that bacteria encounter and survive a wide range of antibiotics. How common is Staphylococcus aureus? It’s estimated that one in three healthy people carry Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on their skin, in their noses or in the back of their throats.^1,2 Few UK studies have looked at how many healthy people who are not in hospital carry MRSA – one study estimates about one in 100 people.⁹ This is about the same as US estimates.³ People carrying the bacteria are said to be colonised, but not infected: the bacteria are simply “hitching a lift” on the surface of the body and have not entered their bodies.² Will carrying Staphylococcus aureus harm me? While the bacteria are simply being carried on the surface of the skin, all Staphylococcus aureus, including the MRSA strain, are not harmful to a healthy person. Because of this, most people are never aware that they are carrying the bacteria.¹ How does Staphylococcus aureus cause an infection? Infection happens if the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria enter the body through a cut, a graze or any break in the skin – either accidental or deliberate (eg a drip or surgical cut).1 The bacteria can then cause skin infections or other more severe infections inside the body¹ (see What types of infection can MRSA cause? below). The severity of the infection depends on where in the body the bacteria has spread to (see Who is most at risk of developing an MRSA infection? below). What types of infection can MRSA cause? If the infection is just under the skin, MRSA can cause pimples or boils. ^3,4 The affected areas may be swollen, painful and red.³ If bacteria get into a person’s bloodstream, usually through a deep wound, they can spread throughout the body and cause other infections. For example: ^3,4,9 • wound infections • abscesses • pneumonia (lung infection) • septicaemia (blood poisoning) • osteomyelitis (bone infection) • septic arthritis (joint infection) • heart valve infections • urinary tract infections. Implanted devices, such as hip or knee replacements, can also become infected. Who is most at risk of developing an MRSA infection? The people who are most at risk of becoming either colonised or infected with MRSA are those in close contact with people who may be carrying the bacteria, for example in hospital wards that care for ill people. MRSA infection is most likely to develop in people who:^2,4,6 • have weakened immune systems, for example the elderly, premature or newborn babies, or people who already have another infection • have open wounds, burns or cuts, for example people who have undergone surgery or who have other types of wounds (such as those made by an intravenous drip). Are MRSA infections more dangerous than other infections? They can be. Many skin-deep infections, such as boils, clear up without the need for antibiotics once the pus has been drained away. Don’t try this yourself: boils should only be drained by a health professional.³ However, people in whom MRSA infection has spread further usually need treatments such as antibiotics or surgery. Normal Staphylococcus aureus infections are treated with methicillintype antibiotics. But MRSA infections cannot be treated with the usual antibiotics – so longer treatment or newer antibiotics need to be used. This can mean that the bacteria have more time to multiply and spread through the body – resulting in more severe infection.4 So can MRSA infections be treated? Yes, MRSA can be treated. The resistance of the MRSA bacteria to certain types of antibiotics makes treatment more difficult, but not impossible. ^2,3,4 Most strains of MRSA can be treated with the antibiotics vancomycin and teicoplanin, which are given by injection or through an intravenous drip.⁴Surgery may also be needed to remove infected tissue or implanted devices. How is MRSA spread? A person can become colonised with MRSA (or infected if the bacteria enters the body) by: • skin contact with a person carrying MRSA on their skin⁶ • contact with surfaces and objects that have been touched or used by someone carrying MRSA, such as door handles, razors, towels and sheets⁸ • contact with dust that contains skin particles carrying MRSA.⁶ By touching an open wound or scratching damaged skin, people who are colonised by MRSA can transfer the bacteria from their hands into their body, leading to infection.⁶ How can we prevent the spread of MRSA and other infections in hospitals? In hospitals a number of measures have been put in place to reduce the spread of infections:^2,6 • doctors and nurses wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand rubs between patients to avoid transferring bacteria from one patient to the next • hospital wards, corridors and surfaces are regularly cleaned • skin wounds are covered with dressings • patients are asked not to touch their wounds or damaged skin and to regularly wash their hands to prevent self infection (see How is MRSA spread? above) • people visiting patients with MRSA infections are asked to wash their hands before and after visiting • people who develop an MRSA infection are normally cared for in an isolation room to help prevent the bacteria being easily transferred to others. Will clean hospital wards and corridors make MRSA go away? No, because MRSA is carried by people. Mopping floors and wiping surfaces will never get rid of all the bacteria, so rigorous basic hygiene measures are still needed. But keeping down the amount of MRSA-containing dust and keeping surfaces free of MRSA means there will be fewer opportunities for it to infect a vulnerable person.

We wanted to find out, not just what is important to you, but also how happy you are with those factors which motivate you the most. For all responders the value of the motivating factors¹ were as shown in the table with a rather smooth progression from salary, the number one driver, to the share scheme, which make virtually a zero impact. The numbers refer to the percentage for each factor of the total score and there are no surprises here.

New Pharmaceutical Industry Group Chair for Wales

Jennie Hammond (NHS/Government Relations Advisor (Wales), Lilly) has been appointed Chair of the ABPI Cymru Wales Industry Group (WIG) in preparation for the planned retirement of Peter Harsant (Norgine). A clinical pharmacist with 14 years’ experience, Jennie has been an active contributor to the WIG since its inception and has worked on many subgroups including chairing the Children and Mental Health Subgroups: Her wealth of experience includes NHS pharmacist posts in both primary and secondary healthcare in Wales. She is also an industry representative on the NHS Industry Forum, a committee formed under the auspices of the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group. “I aim to further develop and maintain strong relationships, working with the National Assembly and NHS Wales by building on the good work Peter Harsant has demonstrated through his chairmanship of WIG,” said Jennie Hammond. “In everything I do I try to see things from a patient’s perspective. It’s important not to lose sight of the ultimate goal.” The recent Welsh Assembly guidance on partnership working between NHS organisations and the commercial sector is a great opportunity for all those involved in healthcare to work together. Dr Richard Greville, Director, ABPI Cymru Wales, said: “We are entering a key time for NHS/Industry relationships in Wales and I have every confidence that Jennie will continue to take WIG from strength to strength into the future.”

Dr Richard Barker Director General ABPI

NICE’s draft recommendations on Alzheimer’s medicines are blow to patients and to future research, says ABPI Draft recommendations on medicines to treat Alzheimer’s disease, published by NICE, are a devastating blow to patients and will act as a significant deterrent to companies undertaking further research in this area, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said recently. They also put the UK out of step with the rest of Europe, where the medicines are available in all countries where they have a licence. “ NICE’s draft recommendations put small cost savings before the benefit that these medicines can bring to so many people who have Alzheimer’s – and to their family, friends and carers,” said Dr Richard Barker, Director General of the ABPI. “ It also sends a discouraging message to pharmaceutical companies that are putting major research work into discovering new, innovative medicines to help people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. How can companies justify investing huge sums in research and development – it costs on average about £550 million to develop a new medicine – if such decisions can be made to withhold medicines from patients despite their benefits? “ We call upon NICE to reconsider this heartless and damaging decision in the interests of both current patients.”