Drug compaines may take over treatment

[Guest guest]

Taken from: News Pulse 3 May 2004.

 

Drug companies expect to take over the treatment of patients with

chronic conditions under a Government drive to increase the range of

providers in primary care.

 

Eddie Gray, senior vice president and general manage for

GlaxoSmithKline UK, told an NHS Alliance conference the move was a

logical step in the pharmaceutical industry's relationship with the

NHS.

 

In addiction to providing the latest drugs to patients and measuring

their outcomes, the move could allow more conditions to be managed

in primary care and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.

 

The company said Government `openness' in finding additional

resources to drive improvements in choice, plurality of provision

and chronic disease management meant it could build on its

experience in respiratory care, HIV capacity planning and diabetes,

on which it is already in partnership with Pfizer across eight

primary care and acute trusts.

 

GPC negotiator Dr Laurance Buckman expressed alarm at the plans.

 

`Chronic disease management is an essential part of primary care.

Other people doing it fragments whole person medicine if you are

trying to integrate care. It's bad for patients', he said.

 

 

Interesting eh? MDs are being sidelined or is it a tactical move as

TCM practitioners will also be pharmacists?

 

Attilio