A Common Understanding 2025
This document defines a framework for cooperation between the NHS in Scotland and the pharmaceutical industry. It encourages confidence that the application of the guidance and associated toolkit will ensure that collaboration forms part of a robust, transparent and outcome-focused approach.
3.Ways to work together
Since the 2012 Common Understanding guidance was published, many projects have been undertaken jointly by the NHS in Scotland alongside one or more pharmaceutical companies and, on occasion, additional organisations such as academia or the third sector, which bring their own expertise and resources to support the work.
The underlying principle of these projects is that, by working together, more can be delivered than could have been achieved by the partner organisations working alone. Identifying and measuring the benefits derived is a cornerstone of such collaborative working projects.
The purpose of this guide and toolkit is to improve patient health, treatment outcomes and NHS services by fostering effective collaborative working relationships between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry. Relevant projects should be focused on the use of medicines and/or relevant clinical pathways.
This guide does not encompass commercial and non-commercial clinical research.
The NHS and the pharmaceutical industry, alongside any other project partners, must all clearly set out the anticipated benefits from working together in advance of embarking on a project and should consider how all parties will quantify the returns on investment of any project.
The potential benefits of collaborative working must be stated clearly for all three of the following:
- Public and patients
- NHS and other organisations, and
- The pharmaceutical industry partner(s).
All collaborative working projects must be underpinned by a formal written agreement and an executive summary must be published before the work begins. The executive summary, project initiation document and any associated project materials must be approved (as required under the ABPI Code) by any pharmaceutical company involved in the collaboration.
Section 7 of this guidance document helps clearly define the scope of any project and ensure that all the essential components are considered and set out in a collaborative working agreement(s).
Contact
Email: medicines.policy@gov.scot