Should Mr A be able to pay for his Erbitux?
The group agreed that he should be able to pay – provided that he could find someone to treat him – if he had access to a consultant who thought that the treatment would help. Should Mr A have to pay for the test to tell whether he is amongst the group of patients who could benefit most from Erbitux? The group questioned whether the test should be available on the NHS – particularly if by taking it he would reduce other costs – easier treatment planning etc. Perhaps the test itself should be appraised by NICE to establish whether it is cost-effective? This was also felt to be a potential case for risk-sharing – should the pharma company pay for the test? The group was concerned about the risk of paying for the test and then not being able to afford the drug itself – co-payment may be a solution. Should Mr A have to pay for all the costs associated with his Erbitux treatment? This provoked some debate – the group did feel that he should still have the NHS elements of his treatment paid
