Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations they have held with interested parties regarding implementation of the provisions of the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017 relating to special medicinal products.

The Government ran two public consultations implementing the powers in the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017. We consulted on changes to the statutory scheme regulations for branded medicines and on new regulations for the provision of information about health service products. We are finalising both sets of regulations which will be laid and enter into force in spring 2018.

The information Regulations include requirements in relation to special medicinal products which will ensure that the Government obtains information from all manufacturers and importers. This information will make the reimbursement arrangements for the most commonly used special medicinal products more robust.

Separately, the Government is considering how to implement its powers in the 2017 Act on the way it reimburses special medicinal products. Any proposals will be subject to consultation with relevant stakeholders.