A government economist perspective: What has been the impact of doing drugs for 20 years

Danny Palnoch is currently Head of Medicines Analysis at NHS England and NHS Improvement. This seminar will take an ‘interview’ format where Danny will be interviewed by Mark Sculpher. 

Danny Palnoch biography

Danny Palnoch has worked as a government economist for over 30 years, the last twenty working on pharmaceutical issues, and 10 years as a senior civil servant in the Department of Health and Social Care, before moving to NHS England and NHS Improvement 2019.

He has built up expertise in

• Economics of the pharmaceutical industry
• Branded medicines price ‘regulation’ (participating in three PPRS negotiations)
• Health technology assessment principles
• Pharmacy drug reimbursement/remuneration
• Generic pricing
• Commercial policy
• Advising ministers and senior officials on the use of evidence in a policy environment

Current Role: Key Areas

1. COVID-19 medicines modelling: Deliver weekly assessment of supply position for supportive and treatment medicines, identifying those meds at risk.
2. Medicines uptake commitments: Commission and deliver International comparison of uptake of key NICE approved medicines
3. Medicines value programme: Deliver Data and Analytics workstream to improve impact of analysis through the system
4. NICE methods review: Provide input to NICE working groups, and advice to top of the office on the implications of NICE’s proposals.
5. Commercial policy analysis and development: Policy advice on commercial strategy including, for example, development of innovative medicines Fund (IMF)
6. Horizon scanning: Horizon scanning reports on clinical areas and medicines relevant to commercial medicines dire rectorate and for dissemination in the NHS
7. NHS net zero carbon target: Assessing carbon emissions, cost and supply impacts for asthma inhalers, and scoping of future medicines to target for carbon reduction
8. Medicines expenditure: Develop single approach to measuring, forecasting and reporting medicines spend
9. Response to PHE report on drugs that can cause dependency: Deliver data and analysis workstream in partnership with key stakeholders to support implementation of recommendations
10. Antimicrobial resistance: Develop a new evaluation and payment model suitable for antimicrobial products that supports the commercial incentive to bring new products to market