The two reviews into access to new medicines do not seem to be strong enough to raise the number of drugs approved for use on the NHS. MSPs have been told that the recommendations by the two reviews are unlikely to approve new medicines for the NHS.

Holyrood's Health Committee has taken evidence on the reviews and examined the work of the Scottish Medicines Consortium. It also scrutinized Individual Patient Treatment System that is used by patients to get drugs that are not approved for the NHS use.

SMC chairperson Professor Angela Timoney said though the recommendations were good, but they concentrated too much on process. Putting in more processes is among some of the concerns at the SMC and it is probably not going to change the decisions.

David Pfleger is director of pharmacy at NHS Grampian. Committee convener Duncan McNeil asked him if the bills for prescriptions were likely to increase because of the recommendations.

Mr. Pfleger said, "What we will have is, hopefully, much more responsiveness, much more transparency, much more openness, and hopefully more person-centeredness". He added that will it change globally the national level of access. The rates of yes and no will remain unchanged from SMC.

Scotland's medicines chief said that it is sometimes all right to say no to lifesaving drugs, when they do not come at a fair price for the NHS.