12 May 2000
At the end of last week, Nice announced that taxanes, which are used to fight ovarian cancer, should be available to all patients. The move would eradicate the 'postcode prescribing' of the drug, but the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) insisted this would only happen if health authorities had the funds for them.
'The Department of Health must now ensure that health authorities are sufficiently resourced to fund appropriate courses of treatment. If they are not, postcode prescribing will continue for women with ovarian cancer and Nice's work will have been in vain,' said Trevor Jones, the ABPI's director general.
Dr Jones also criticised Nice's decision to delay an announcement on anti-breast cancer medicines until the end of June. It would cause more uncertainty for women with the illness, he said.
PFmay2000
