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When a pharmaceutical manufacturer intends to introduce a new branded medicine to the UK market, a structured process must be followed to set the price before the medicine is launched. This ensures that the price is acceptable for the National Health Service (NHS) and aligns with the broader health system's financial sustainability and patient access objectives.

The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access, and Growth (VPAG) sets out how the prices for the majority of branded pharmaceuticals are controlled in the UK. The process applies across all four member nations and it allows manufacturers to freely set the list price of medicines, but with measures to contain NHS pharmaceutical spending.