GovWire

The voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access (VPAS) is a non-contractual voluntary agreement between the government (constituted of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), the representative body of the UK pharmaceutical industry.

VPAS aims to:

• improve patient access to medicines by getting the best value and most effective medicines into use more quickly
• keep the branded medicine bill affordable for the NHS through a cap in growth of branded sales
• support innovation and a successful life sciences industry in the UK

Operational review meetings are held every 6 months.