How pharmacy can avert a threat to patient safety from purchasing top-ups

摘要

Sparked by high profile media coverage of patients buying cancer treatments that have not been approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and facing a bill for their whole NHS treatment,the debate on top-ups goes to the core of the fundamental NHS principle of equity.The big issue is how to marry the need to provide access to the health care that people need with personal autonomy and the right to choose.