Re: Zocor OTC in GB
From: John Merlano (someone_at_home.somewhere)
Date: 07/29/04
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Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 18:44:08 -0400
On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 21:54:21 GMT, Bill wrote:
Very interesting for me because I take a prescribed dose of Zocor 10 mg.
> Note, I think this works out to abut 85 cents/pill in GB vs. a typical
> $2.33/pill in the US. You might even get it cheaper in bulk there. So for
> those in the US here is how to pay for your airfair to Europe and vica versa!
> (Not really, I'm not sure what the rules are and how well they are enforced.)
>
> Bill
>
> ____________________________
> First OTC Cholesterol Drug Launched in Britain
>
> Thu Jul 29, 4:08 AM ET
>
>
> LONDON (Reuters) - Britain became the first country in the world to sell
> a cholesterol-lowering drug without a prescription Thursday when a low-dosage
> form of Merck & Co Inc.'s Zocor was launched.
>
> Statins like Zocor are taken by millions of people around the world to
> reduce the risk of heart attack and have become the most profitable drugs in
> the world. But until now they have only be available under doctor supervision.
>
>
> In a ground-breaking move in May, however, the British government
> approved the switch to over-the-counter (OTC) status, arguing that easier
> access would allow more people to protect themselves from the risk of coronary
> heart disease.
>
>
> Many doctors have voiced concern about the decision, which they contend
> will result in some people taking the medicine who do not need it while others
> could receive an inadequate dose.
>
>
> The new version of Zocor, or simvastatin, will be marketed by Johnson &
> Johnson MSD under the brand name Zocor Heart-Pro at a cost of 12.99 pounds per
> 28-day pack.
>
>
> The 10-milligram dose is designed for people at moderate risk of heart
> disease, a number that could total more than seven million.
>
>
> Pharmacists will be able to sell it to customers after asking about
> their situation and offering various health tests to ensure it is safe to give
> them the drug.
>
>
> The move is expected to help reduce the state's drug bill significantly.
> Currently, Britain's National Health Service spends around 700 million pounds
> ($1.28 billion) on statin drugs each year.
>
>
> The success of the scheme in Britain will be monitored closely by drug
> regulators around the world, who are under pressure from governments to make
> more medicines available OTC in order to reduce runaway healthcare costs.
> ($1=.5488 POUND)
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