Rx£ Medicines
& Money

A structured programme for NHS professionals on how money flows through medicines – and how to make informed, system-level decisions. 

Medicines represent one of the largest areas of NHS spend, second only to the workforce. They are also one of the most complex—sitting at the intersection of clinical decision-making, commissioning, policy, and finance. 

Despite this, many healthcare leaders are expected to influence medicines use without a clear understanding of how the system actually works. 

Rx£ – Money & Medicines is designed to address that gap. 

Grounded in real NHS practice, the programme provides a clear, structured view of how medicines are funded, managed, and optimised across primary care, secondary care, and specialised commissioning. 

Speakers 

Rx£ is led by senior NHS pharmacy leaders with direct, current experience of navigating money and medicines at system scale. 

Professor Ewan Maule

Clinical Director, North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board, and Honorary Professor at Teesside University.

Ewan leads clinical and professional pharmacy strategy for a 3.2 million population, with budget responsibility spanning over £1.1 billion in system-wide medicines spend. An elected Board Member of the Royal College of Pharmacy, he brings national policy insight and a track record of turning financial complexity into practical, system-level decisions. 

Annett Blochberger

Chief Pharmacist, Specialised Commissioning, London Region, NHS England. Annett leads strategic oversight of London’s high-cost medicines portfolio, working across NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Systems and national policy groups to keep specialised services both clinically sound and financially sustainable. She sits on NICE’s Highly Specialised Evaluation Committee and has helped shape national policy on high-cost drugs and commissioning frameworks. 

Katie Joyce

Senior Associate at KTC and Medicines Value Programme Lead for the North East and North Cumbria Provider Collaborative, where she leads a region-wide medicines value programme spanning 11 NHS Foundation Trusts and over £665 million in medicines expenditure.

Katie brings direct, current experience of turning budget pressure into structured, collaborative decision-making at system scale. 

What the course covers

The programme takes participants through the full lifecycle of medicines within the NHS: 

• How funding flows from HM Treasury through DHSC and NHS England into frontline services 

• The role of NICE, MHRA, and commissioning structures in determining access to medicines 

• How medicines are paid for across primary care, secondary care, and specialised services 

• Financial and commercial mechanisms including VPAG, rebates, and patient access schemes 

• Planning for new medicines, including horizon scanning and budget impact 

• Managing medicines spend locally through formularies, pathways, and optimisation strategies 

• Understanding high-cost drugs, tariff systems, and reimbursement models 

• The practical realities of affordability, implementation, and system constraints
  
  The content reflects the scale and complexity of medicines spend within the NHS and the need for structured decision-making. 
  
  

How it is delivered

Rx£ is delivered as an interactive, case-based programme, built around real scenarios rather than theory. 

Participants work through funding decisions, formulary challenges, and system-level trade-offs, so the learning translates directly into practice. 

Sessions are led by faculty with experience across commissioning, finance, pharmacy leadership, and system transformation, providing a balanced and practical perspective. 

Course outcomes vs organisational benefits

For participants

Participants develop a clear, working understanding of how medicines and money connect across the NHS. This includes: 

• Confidence in navigating NHS funding flows and commissioning structures 

• Improved ability to interpret financial information and its impact on clinical decisions 

• A structured approach to planning for new medicines and managing budget impact 

• Greater clarity on how to influence prescribing, pathways, and system behaviour 

• Stronger capability to engage with finance, commissioning, and commercial teams

For organisations

Organisations benefit from more informed and aligned decision-making: 

• Improved financial stewardship of medicines budgets 

• Better alignment between clinical priorities and available funding 

• More effective planning and implementation of new medicines 

• Reduced variation and stronger governance across prescribing and formulary decisions
• Greater ability to balance access, affordability, and system sustainability

The outcome is a workforce that understands not just what to do, but how the system enables or constrains those decisions. 

Who this is for

• Chief Pharmacists and senior pharmacy teams 
• Medicines optimisation leads and ICB colleagues 

• Clinical leaders involved in formulary or pathway decisions 

• Finance and commissioning professionals working with medicines budgets

This programme is designed specifically for NHS professionals working within the system. A separate course tailored to the pharmaceutical industry is in development. 

Delivery format

Rx£ – Money & Medicines is delivered fully online. 

The programme is interactive, combining structured teaching with case discussion and system-level application.

This allows participants to engage with complex concepts while maintaining flexibility. 

All sessions are delivered live, enabling discussion, challenge, and shared learning across organisations. 

Cost 

£499 per participant 

This includes full access to the programme, supporting materials, and CPD certification on completion. 

The approach

This is not a finance course in isolation — it is built on the principle that effective medicines optimisation requires an understanding of both clinical value and financial reality.

The focus is on helping participants make better decisions within the constraints of the NHS—balancing access, affordability, and long-term sustainability with clarity and confidence.