Website of the Department of Health

Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme: Ninth Report to Parliament

The prices of branded prescription medicines and the profits that manufacturers are allowed to make on their sales to the National Health Service (NHS) are regulated by the PPRS. It is a voluntary agreement made between the Department of Health and the branded pharmaceutical industry - represented by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) - under Section 33 of the Health Act 1999. There have been a series of voluntary agreements with the industry since 1957 to limit branded medicine prices and profits, each lasting five years or so, although the details of these agreements have evolved over time.

• Download Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme, Ninth Report to Parliament (PDF, 408K)