Question reference: S6W-26488
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 10 April 2024
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Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 April 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding using the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth as an incentive for the pharmaceutical industry to improve the sustainability of current products in Scotland.
Answer
The regulation for the pricing and supply of medicines is reserved to the UK Government. Scottish Government officials worked closely with their counterparts in the UK Government during the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry, however, the devolved administrations were not included in the formal negotiations.
Commitments made on medicines and pharmaceutical manufacturing sustainability in the 2024 VPAG can be found in section 7.11 to 7.14 here: 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (publishing.service.gov.uk) .