interrogates the paper’s findings, and argues that this conclusion does not reflect reality and should therefore not be considered informative for the design of the NHS Commercial Framework.
Our upcoming webinar also focuses on innovative financing models, with a panel discussion on whether differential pricing systems can address the challenge of pricing complex combination therapies in Europe – and whether that can indeed answer the urgent question of balancing innovation with access.
We have previously argued that policies that overly emphasize cost-containment and expenditure control, particularly for off-patent medicines, could overlook the risks of drug shortages that those policies may cause. We will be revisiting our work on drug shortages, among other key topics, in our ‘Insights and Reflections from 2024’ webinar, which we hope you will join us for.
In the spirit of evolving our research to meet the big questions of today, we also updated the figures from our report on the scale of unrelieved pain in palliative care in England, published in 2019. Our latest Insight includes the latest available data to inform the ongoing conversation on assisted dying in England and Wales. Our estimates – which were covered in the Guardian last week -- showed that 20 people a day die in unrelieved pain across the UK at the end of their lives.
As we’re starting to wrap up 2024 and look ahead to 2025, we are reminded of the profound impact that thoughtful health economic research can have in shaping policies that improve lives. At OHE, we remain committed to addressing the critical challenges facing healthcare systems, from ensuring timely access to innovative treatments to balancing sustainability with equity in healthcare delivery.
