NHS could already have saved £1,072 billion - but where was the therapy?

http://www.network54.com/Forum/281849/message/1296504839/they+could+already+have+saved+%A31%2C072+billion+-+but+where+was+the+therapy-







If you had read it you would know that I have not only studied the ever increasing SSRI, SNRI prescribing trends - but also the costs of those prescriptions over the same period and what has influenced those.



It highlights the fact that the "Report of the CSM Expert Working Group on the Safety of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)" published December 2004 and "House of Commons, Health Committee's examination into The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry" April 2005 caused an anomaly in prescribing trends.



It also shows that the Government appears to have used the two reports to force the net cost of the drugs down far beyond what would be expected by end of license reductions. Since 2004, when SSRI, SNRI drug class annual net costs peaked at £355.4 m, the net costs have reduced to a 2009 low of £187.5 despite annual total prescriptions increasing from 18.4 m to 26.9 m over the same period . the lowest annual total net cost since 1998/9 when only 9.9 m prescriptions were issued.



So the government did clamp down on the industry but to what cost . on one hand - letting another insidious class of drugs, Statins, to be sold as OTC drugs for one introducing stringent monitoring for mental health and anti social behaviour prognosis problems in pregnant women, mothers and babies lining up the next generation of prospective MH patients for another and probably a whole myriad of other things they have sneaked through!



On the other hand it makes it harder to complain to government officials that the pharmaceutical companies have it all their own way or to complain that the government have not acted responsibly or in the best interest of the NHS and the population although since the price reductions began they seem to have completely ignored the CSM Expert Working Groups report which found ALL drugs in the class lacking in efficacy and safety.



You seem to be very concerned about there being no money for alternative therapies and supplements . so what about this lack of funding and those SSRI, SNRI price reductions and the substantial savings the government have made since 2004



In 2009 the 26.9 m SSRI, SNRI prescriptions total net cost was £187.5 m, a median average net cost per prescription of £6.69.



26.9 m SSRI, SNRI prescriptions at the peak 2004 price of £355.4 m, equates to a median average net cost per prescription of £13.19 showing a projected saving for the period 2004/5 to 2009 excluding accrued 10% inflation of £662.58 m.



26.9 m SSRI, SNRI prescriptions at the peak 2004 median average net cost per prescription of £19.23 would have cost £518.12 m and shows a projected saving 2004/5 to 2009 of £1,072 billion.



The UK Government cannot refute their own information, facts and figures and I would love to know why the government have not used at least some of these saving to put in place the alternative therapies recommended in the "NICE Clinical Guidelines 23: Depression" published December 2004 as I'm sure you would.



extracted from - http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SSRI-Crusaders/message/35823