A MODEL FOR RATIONAL INTRODUCTION OF NEW AND EXPENSIVE MEDICINES

The reported impact of human monoclonal IgM antibody (HA1A) on the mor tality rate from Gram-negative bacteraemia aroused considerable intere st in its use in Glasgow Royal Infirmary. However, the commercial prep aration of HA1A was extremely expensive. With this in mind, the Infirm ary's Drugs and Therapeutics Committee introduced a system whereby the commercial preparation of HA1A could be introduced in a controlled fa shion, thereby establishing a model which would encourage targeting th e prescription of new, highly expensive treatments to appropriate pati ents. This model provides the clinician with a set of objective criter ia to be met before prescribing such a preparation, thus preventing un necessary increases in the hospital drug budget and justifying using e xpensive resources.