Pharmacy Procurement

The Pharmacy Service at Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust purchases and supplies medicines as part of their overall service.  This service is delivered in as cost effective a manner as possible, consistent with patient needs and in accordance with all the relevant professional and audit standards.

Medicines are an essential component of health services and are the most common clinical intervention provided within the NHS. They cost the NHS around £11billion a year. This means that, second to staff costs, medicines are the biggest single budget expenditure in the NHS. Consequently, there is a high level of public and media interest in both the availability and safety of medicines.

Medicines must meet safety, quality and efficacy criteria before they can be marketed in the UK. Companies wanting to market a medicine must apply for a ‘marketing authorisation’ and submit data which show that the medicine meets appropriate safety, quality and efficacy standards. The MHRA will then assess the medicine’s benefits against its potential risks.

The core aim of the Pharmacy Service is to deliver

•        the correct drug

•        of the appropriate quality

•        to the right person

•        at the right time

•        at the most economic cost to the health economy