07/01/2004
Province tops anti-dementia drug spending list
Province tops the list of places across the UK where spending is at its highest for the prescribing of anti-dementia drugs.
Researchers from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer have found that postcode prescribing of anti-dementia drugs is continuing, with some areas spending four times as much as others on the medication.
Some areas of the country are spending £8 or more on anti-dementia drugs per head of people over 65, while others are spending less than £2.
The study aimed to investigate how guidance issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in January 2001 has affected spending patterns of the 52 strategic health authorities and boards across the UK. Spending in 1999 on the three main anti-Alzheimer's drugs, donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine, was compared with that in the 12 months prior to February 2003.
At the extremes, the Eastern Health and Social Services Board in Northern Ireland spends the equivalent of £10 per head of the over 65s on the anti-dementia drugs, while in Lothian in Scotland less than £1 is spent.
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "People with Alzheimer's disease continue to be denied access to drugs that NICE approved as clinically- and cost-effective three years ago.
"These drugs are not a cure but they slow the worsening of symptoms and improve the quality of life for those with dementia and their carers. People with Alzheimer's disease have a progressive, degenerative condition and a six-month wait for treatment is one they cannot afford."
The researchers found that although overall spending on the drugs had increased significantly between 1999 and 2002/3, there were still wide geographic variations in the amounts being spent.
The researchers looked at the number of people over 65 in each area, as a rough guide to the amount of people likely to be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Even in areas with very similar numbers of those over 65, budgets for the drugs varied greatly.
The findings of the study have been submitted to the NICE conference.
(MB)
Researchers from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer have found that postcode prescribing of anti-dementia drugs is continuing, with some areas spending four times as much as others on the medication.
Some areas of the country are spending £8 or more on anti-dementia drugs per head of people over 65, while others are spending less than £2.
The study aimed to investigate how guidance issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in January 2001 has affected spending patterns of the 52 strategic health authorities and boards across the UK. Spending in 1999 on the three main anti-Alzheimer's drugs, donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine, was compared with that in the 12 months prior to February 2003.
At the extremes, the Eastern Health and Social Services Board in Northern Ireland spends the equivalent of £10 per head of the over 65s on the anti-dementia drugs, while in Lothian in Scotland less than £1 is spent.
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "People with Alzheimer's disease continue to be denied access to drugs that NICE approved as clinically- and cost-effective three years ago.
"These drugs are not a cure but they slow the worsening of symptoms and improve the quality of life for those with dementia and their carers. People with Alzheimer's disease have a progressive, degenerative condition and a six-month wait for treatment is one they cannot afford."
The researchers found that although overall spending on the drugs had increased significantly between 1999 and 2002/3, there were still wide geographic variations in the amounts being spent.
The researchers looked at the number of people over 65 in each area, as a rough guide to the amount of people likely to be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Even in areas with very similar numbers of those over 65, budgets for the drugs varied greatly.
The findings of the study have been submitted to the NICE conference.
(MB)
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