Applying for a medicine decision review


Applying for a medicine decision review

Clinicians can apply for reviews under the Peer Approved Clinical (PACS) Tier Two process.  You can make an application when:

  • the medicine you want to use for an individual patient is not accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and not available for routine prescription
  • a board rejects a request for the patient to access to the medicine.

A National Review Panel carries out the review. This review replaces each NHS board’s local appeal process. Panel members only consider cases from outside their NHS board.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland  co-ordinates and provides support for the panel. None of our staff take part in the decision making process.

Requesting a review

National review panels meet monthly. We can arrange ad hoc meetings if there is clinical urgency.

You can request a review form and submit a review request by contacting us at his.nrp@nhs.scot. You need to make the request at least seven working days before each panel meeting date.


Panel meeting dates

23 September 2025: submissions by 16 September 2025

29 October 2025: submissions by 22 October 2025

26 November 2025: submissions by 19 November

18 December 2025: submissions by 11 December

21 January 2026: submissions by 14 January

18 February 2026: submissions by 11 February

18 March 2026: submissions by 11 March

Panel findings

The panel will make a finding on:

  • whether the board’s decision is reasonable, based on the evidence provided
  • whether due process has been followed

    If there are grounds for a review of the original decision, the panel will send the case back to the NHS board. The board then convenes a meeting to revisit their decision. This new review panel must take into account the National Review Panel reasoning.

    The final decision is for the NHS board to determine.