Statins soon to be over-the-counter drugs in the UK
Statins soon to be over-the-counter drugs in the UK
12 May 2004
Source: Mediacal News Today
UK patients will soon be able to get their cholesterol-lowering statins over-the-counter (OTC) at the local pharmacy (no prescription needed). Currently only patients who have a high risk of cardiac disease get the prescription for statins in the UK.
Experts have been saying that thousands of lives could be saved every year in the UK if statins were available over-the-counter.
Doctors have taken this news with some concern. Many feel the motive behind the government’s move is financial, rather than for public health.
More people die as a result of coronary heart disease each year in the UK than any other illness.
Statins lower a persons levels of bad LDL cholesterol. Statins can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 30%.
The NHS (National Health Service) spends $700 million every year on statins. In the UK the elderly, the unemployed, children under 18, pregnant women and some other people get all their prescription drugs free – the state pays for them. 1.8 million people in England are taking prescribed statins.
The UK government said its decision comes after months of consultations with experts and patient groups.
People who go to their pharmacist are expected to be offered a cholesterol or blood test, they will also be interviewed by the pharmacist.
Statins should be available as OTC drugs in July.
OTHER REFERENCES:
- Colesterol Myth - Statins for women: a complete waste of time?
Statins for women: a complete waste of time? By Anthony Colpo, April 30, 2004. Source: The Omnivore According to NDS Health, a health-care information services company based in Atlanta, more than 110 million prescriptions were written for statin drugs in..
- Colesterol Myth - It's official: Statins proponents have lost their minds!
It's official: Statins proponents have lost their minds! By Anthony Colpo, April 26, 2004. Source: The Omnivore Mainstream medicine's fetish for statin drugs continues to sink to ever lower depths, as clearly evidenced by the conclusions of two recent journal...
- Statins Scam: Cholesterol Drugs Tied to Birth Defects
Cholesterol Drugs Tied to Birth Defects U.S. government study finds an unusually high number of abnormalities in babies of women who took statins during first trimester of pregnancy. By Serena GordonHealthDay Reporter (Souce: Health Central)WEDNESDAY, April 7 (HealthDayNews) -- If..
- Statin Drugs - A Critical Review of the Risk/Benefit Clinical Research
Statin Drugs - A Critical Review of the Risk/Benefit Clinical ResearchJoel M. Kauffman, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry Emeritus USP Philadelphia, PA, USASource: DrugIntelAbbreviations: CVD - Coronary Heart Disease; FH - Familial Hypercholesteremia; HDL - High Density Lipoprotein; HPS - Heart..
- The Cholesterol Myth and Statins: Let them eat cake, butter, cream ...
Let them eat cake, butter, cream ... For decades the advice has been to cut cholesterol and protect your heart. Now some doctors think it makes no difference Jerome BurneTuesday April 6, 2004The Guardian There is almost no connection between...
- Statin Drugs: The Ultimate Manifestation of Anti-Cholesterol Stupidity?
Statin Drugs: The Ultimate Manifestation of Anti-Cholesterol Stupidity?Source: The OmnivoreBy Anthony Colpo, March 14, 2004.The last decade has seen a rapid rise in the use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Last week, media reports hailed the results of a new study...
- Statins - Lipitor draws debate
February 12, 2004Lipitor article draws debateI've had some interesting conversations with community members after the "Life After Lipitor" article was printed on Jan. 29. I am not a doctor and do not want to give medical advice, but I believe...
- Lipitor - The Dangers of Statin Drugs
Lipitor, a cholesterol lowering drug made by Pfizer and sold to millions of health conscious but ill informed patients, is one of the most profitable drugs the pharmaceutical industry has ever come up with. Sales account for a quarter of...
- UK: Statins Over The Counter Despite Little Evidence of Health Benefit
- Statins: 'Revolutionary' Study Won't Arrest Decline
- Lipitor: Side Effects And Natural Remedy