Pharmaceutical companies from around the world have been scaling back clinical research in the United Kingdom, largely because of government parsimony, says Peter Pitts.

The main culprit is Britain's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the government agency responsible for comparing the effectiveness of different treatment options. When the National Health Service decides not to cover a drug, it hinders the ability of drug companies to recoup research and development expenses.

NHS practices also make British patients less-than-appealing subjects for clinical trials. Most patients in the U.K. aren't currently receiving the highest-quality medical treatment, so clinical trials that compare the average British patient with a patient taking an experimental drug simply don't yield much useful information. America should avoid the mistakes of the U.K. and make sure we keep the interests -- and hopes -- of patients first in our pursuit of health care reform, writes Pitts.