MPs: Drug regulators slow on uptake

Shame, shame on Britain's National Health Service. Parliament is calling the agency to task for dragging its feet on reviewing and adopting new drugs. A House of Commons committee also criticizes NHS experts for failing to toss out old treatments that aren't considered effective anymore.

According to the critical MPs, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence--which is charged with decided which drugs and treatments the NHS will pay for--makes decisions not based on empirical evidence and without regard to the NHS budget. The MPs suggested that all drugs be appraised as they're launched, and the the most cost-effective be made available immediately.

The group acknowledged that NICE faces all sorts of challenges to quick work, including scarce resources. The Department of Health, which oversees the NHS and NICE, says it will respond to the report soon.

- read the report in The Telegraph

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