One Wales Medicines Process
A process in Wales that allows patients to access certain medicines that haven't yet been formally assessed by national bodies, under special conditions while awaiting a full review.
At a glance
Use when
A medicine is not yet assessed by NICE or AWMSG but is urgently needed for a patient group in Wales
Avoid when
The medicine has already been appraised by NICE or AWMSG, or when robust evidence is lacking
Inputs
Medicine not appraised by NICE or AWMSG, clinical need justification, interim commissioning request
Outputs
Conditional patient access to medicine, structured assessment by OWMAG/LOWMAG, requirement for future formal appraisal
How it works
An interim-commissioning framework managed by AWTTC and the Welsh Government, enabling conditional access to medicines not appraised by NICE or AWMSG through the One Wales Medicines Assessment Groups (OWMAG/LOWMAG), pending formal evaluation.
- HTA domains
- Costs & Economic Evaluation, Organisational aspects, Patient and Social Aspects
- Categories
- Context & ImplementationPricing/PayerReporting Standards & Best PracticeUnrelated Future Costs
- Assumptions
- There is a significant clinical need; the medicine shows potential benefit; formal appraisal will follow
- Strengths
- Enables timely patient access to promising treatments; structured oversight via expert groups; aligns with future formal assessment
- Limitations
- Access is conditional and time-limited; dependent on subsequent appraisal outcomes; may not guarantee long-term funding
- Also known as
- One Wales, OWMAG, LOWMAG, Licensed One Wales Medicines Assessment Groups
Questions this answers
- › How can patients in Wales access medicines not yet assessed by national bodies?
- › What is the pathway for interim commissioning of unappraised medicines in Wales?
- › Which bodies oversee conditional medicine access in Wales?
- › What conditions apply to accessing medicines through the One Wales process?
- › How does the One Wales process interact with formal HTA appraisals?
References & sources
- websiteawttc.nhs.wales ↗
Similar by meaning
Beta record. Based on the original catalogue summary; primary-source enrichment pending.