The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) published advice on this medication for this indication in November 2006:
Gemcitabine, in combination with paclitaxel, is accepted for restricted use within NHS Scotland for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer who have relapsed following adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Prior chemotherapy should have included an anthracycline unless clinically contraindicated.
In this case, there is no material difference between the NICE STA No 116 (http://www.nice.org.uk/TA116) and the SMC recommendation.
NHSScotland should note that:
- NHS Boards should continue to adhere to the SMC advice.
- The new NICE single technology appraisal process is being monitored by NHS Quality
Improvement Scotland, Scottish Executive Health Department and SMC for a period of time. During this period recommendations of NICE STAs will be only for noting by NHS Scotland in the knowledge that SMC have already issued advice on the medicine which NHSScotland should follow. - Hard copies of NICE appraisals are available from NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (contact Shonagh Buchanan, tel 0141 225 6993 or email shonagh.buchanan@nhshealthquality.org).
