Position Statements

Position statements are sometimes considered useful in the clarification of certain contentious pharmaceutical issues relating to cancer. These statements are often provided by the committee (and are endorsed by the Network Pharmacists Forum in some instances) in response to concerns from the membership. They are intended to provide guidance for members and also encourage a common response. The position statements on this web-site are not legally binding and represent a consensus view. This area of the web-site also shows collated responses to comments on consultation documents.

Position Statement on Access to Unlicensed Drugs Outside of Clinical Trials (May 2006)

This position statement encompasses the use of an unlicensed medicine through expanded access or compassionate use programmes – it does not encompass “specials” nor “off-label” use.

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Position Statement
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Response to comments received on the consultation document

Position Statement on Risk Sharing Schemes in Oncology (March 2008)

CNPF and BOPA members welcome and are committed to actively supporting any initiatives that improve access to new medicines for NHS patients. It is essential, however, that the benefits and costs of initiatives such as offers to NHS of risk-sharing schemes by pharmaceutical manufacturers are assessed as carefully as those of the medicines themselves and to ensure that the schemes genuinely offer the NHS value-for-money.

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Position Statement
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Response to consultation comments

Position statement on the Governments’ Interim Cancer Drug Fund (Sep 2010)

The Health Secretary has announced an in-year Interim Cancer Drug Fund (ICDF) of £50 million, to commence in October 2010. The principles of this fund are described in a letter to strategic health authority (SHA) directors of finance, deputy directors of finance and medical directors (and copied to cancer networks). The details in this letter are somewhat limited, and require interpretation by those implementing the system for managing the ICDF at regional level.

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Position statement
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Supporting spreadsheet

Position Statement on the Packaging of Oral Cytotoxic Medicines for Clinical Trials (July 2005)

The development and rapidly expanding use of oral cytotoxics has advantages for patients and the NHS. For pharmacy services; however, it is important to understand that although there may be a reduction in the workload of a small team of specialist staff in the chemotherapy reconstitution unit

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Position Statement

Position Statement on Safe Practice and the Pharmaceutical Care of Patients Receiving Oral Anti-Cancer Chemotherapy (Jan 2004)

Anti-cancer chemotherapy is one of the rare fields of therapeutics in which, with the exception of haematology, most treatment has historically been given intravenously. Until recently very few of the available drugs were suitable for oral administration, thus most treatment has hence been administered only by specialist staff.

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Position statement