Plans by health secretary Jeremy Hunt to put price tags on medicine packs costing the NHS over £20 may make elderly or vulnerable people see themselves as a “burden on society”, it has been claimed.
An editorial in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) calls the move a “headline-grabbing gimmick” that could do nothing to ensure patients stick to their prescribed medicine regimes.
Hunt, who aims to introduce the change next year, says the price tags, which will also be marked “funded by the UK taxpayer”, will reduce waste by reminding people of the cost of medicines and improve patient care.
The DTB, which says it provides independent evaluations and practical advice on treatments, recognises that adherence to drug regimes can be a problem even for those who pay for their prescriptions.
“We are concerned that labelling medicines with their cost may result in some unintended consequences and worry patients, particularly the vulnerable and elderly, who might see the price of their medication as being a burden on society.
“In 2014, the average cost of medicines dispensed in England was £8.32 and drugs costing under £20 made up a far higher volume than those over £20.”
There is no link between the NHS price of a medicine and its clinical efficacy, says the editorial, but there is a risk the price might be misinterpreted as an indicator of a medicine’s value.
“A patient taking a number of drugs may gain a biased understanding of their treatment, with inexpensive drugs used for heart disease being considered less important than a high cost drug used to treat pain.
“For example, vitamin K analogues are a fraction of the price of the newer oral anticoagulant drugs, yet the costs of monitoring and follow-up changes the economic model considerably.”
The editorial also says many medicine containers are already small. Adding the price may make other, more important, information less clear and lead to mistakes.
“The most expensive drugs are the ones dispensed, but never used, and it is not clear this headline-grabbing gimmick will do anything to improve adherence.”
The Department of Health said: “We make no apology for taking action to reduce waste, improve patient care and remind people about the value of the NHS services they get.
“We will be doing research to understand the best way to present the information, so that people continue to take their medicines properly.”
