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<p>The costs of branded medicines are controlled by the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation
Scheme and the statutory scheme for branded medicines. Liothyronine is an unbranded
generic medicine. For unbranded generic medicines, the Department encourages competition
between suppliers to keep prices down. In primary care, community pharmacies are incentivised
to source products at the lowest possible cost and in secondary care, competitive
tenders ensure value-for-money to the National Health Service.</p><p> </p><p>Liothyronine
is currently the subject of an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority,
which has provisionally found that the single supplier of the product abused its dominant
position to overcharge the NHS by millions for liothyronine tablets. A provisional
decision does not necessarily lead to an infringement decision. Where companies have
breached competition law, the Department will seek damages and invest that money back
into the NHS.</p><p> </p><p>Medicines legislation requires that only medicines licensed
for use in the United Kingdom can be marketed in the UK.</p>
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