The Medicines Procurement and Supply Chain (MPSC), part of our Medicines Value and Access Directorate, is responsible for buying and securing the supply of medicines prescribed in NHS hospitals in England.
Medicines framework agreements
Working with a wide range of stakeholders, the MPSC manages a number of Medicines Framework agreements that define how we ensure continuity of supply for:
- generic medicines including newly available generic medicines used in hospitals
- branded medicines, biosimilar medicines and intravenous (IV) fluids
- blood products and dose banded chemotherapy and flu vaccines for hospitals
Who can access MPSC frameworks?
Any provider or organisation that treats NHS patients and wants to purchase products at MPSC pricing must be registered as a purchasing point with NHS England and agree to the key conditions of access.
NHS England’s policy position sets out which providers or organisations are in scope for being a purchasing point and therefore able to access MPSC framework prices.
How to become a purchasing point?
Any provider or organisation that is in scope in accordance with NHS England’s policy position should review the purchasing point factsheet and follow the process set out in the document.
Homecare medicines and services
The Homecare team works closely with the National Clinical Homecare Association and has representation on the National Homecare Medicines Committee. The team is responsible for NHS procurement of at-home medicines delivery and home nursing services for people living with the following:
- bleeding disorders, lysosomal storage disorders and pulmonary hypertension
The Homecare team is also responsible for provision of home parenteral nutrition (HPN).
Pharmacy team
The Pharmacy team works across MPSC to provide clinical and pharmaceutical support to all procurement functions. The team also leads on supply chain management, supporting the management and mitigation of supply issues, working closely with the Medicine Supply team (DHSC), senior stakeholders from the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry.
Date: 4 April