From: admin@gnn.webgenerics.com Sent: 12 May 2004 10:44 To: nds@gnn.webgenerics.com Subject: DOH:HEART DRUG AVAILABLE WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 2004/0186 12 May 2004 HEART DRUG AVAILABLE WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION A drug that can reduce the risk of heart attacks is to become available without a prescription for the first time, Health Secretary John Reid announced today. Statins, which reduce cholesterol levels, are currently prescribed to 1.8 million people and are thought to save 6-7,000 lives a year. Now the expert Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) has advised that one statin, simvastatin, should be available without prescription in a 10mg dose. Accepting the committee's recommendation, Mr Reid said: "We have already seen a 23% fall in premature death rates from heart disease and stroke over the past five years, on line to meet our target of a 40% reduction by 2010. This new move will allow more people to protect themselves from the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks." "By extending access to this drug we are giving people more choice about how they protect their health. We are committed to extending choice whenever advised it is safe to do so." "Pharmacists will ask people a series of questions and, where appropriate, offer a range of health tests to ensure that it is safe to issue this drug. Of course statins will still be available on prescription." He added: "This move will also give pharmacists a greater role in helping people to stay healthy - allowing them to fulfil their full potential in offering health advice and treatment.' "Coronary heart disease kills more than 110,000 people in England every year. It is the country's single biggest killer. By lowering cholesterol levels, statins can reduce heart attacks by as much as one third after three years of taking the drug." The CSM thoroughly debated the safety issues before recommending the move and concluded the benefits greatly outweigh any possible risk. Dr Gillian Hawksworth, President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, said: "The Society welcomes the reclassification of simvastatin 10mg and believes there is a clear public health benefit to be gained from making this important medicine available through pharmacies. This switch will enhance patient care and give pharmacists more opportunity to use their skills. It will also provide a perfect opportunity to discuss other risk factors such as smoking, obesity and diet with a customer. Most importantly the public will benefit from access to primary prevention treatment without compromising on professional expertise and advice". NOTES TO EDITORS 1. The CSM is an independent Committee of experts that advise Government on the safety, quality and effectiveness of medicines, including vaccines. It is also responsible for encouraging the collection and investigation of reports on suspected adverse reactions to medicines already on the market. The MHRA is the executive arm of the UK's Drug Licensing Authority and is responsible for all aspects of the regulation of medicines in the UK. 2. Simvastatin has been available in the UK for the last 14 years. It has been used by millions of people world-wide and has a very well established safety record. 3. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is the regulatory and professional body for pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. The primary objective of the Society is to lead, regulate and develop the pharmacy profession. They will provide a guidance note to pharmacists on the issuing of the statin. 4. Present guidelines suggest to doctors that they prescribe statins for patients who have a 30% chance of heart attack within the next 10 years. 5. Simvastatin 10mg will be available to buy in monthly packs in Summer 2004. 6. The pharmaceutical companies will determine the price of the statins. 7. For media enquires only, please contact Sophie Copple on 020 7210 5707. [ENDS] -------------------------------------------------------------------- GNNREF: 94745 Issued by : DOH Press Office Contact : If you have any queries relating to this press release, please forward this e-mail to the Press Office e-mail address provided above, or alternatively contact the originating Press Office by telephone. (Media queries only) Please DO NOT attempt to reply to the sender of this e-mail. The sender is involved solely as a broadcasting agent and cannot process e-mailed queries. Any attached files with a .DOC extension should be read using a word processor capable of reading Word 97 files. If you believe that the originating body is sending you Word 2000 files that you are not yet capable of reading, ask them to save future files in an earlier version.