Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6746

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Wagner N.
Advertisements for donepezil (Aricept) in the BMJ: Local committee has declined to approve NHS hospital prescription of donepezil.
BMJ 1997 May 24; 314:(7093):1555-6
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/314/7093/1555

Abstract:

The BMJ wrapper containing an advertisement for donazepil is the trigger for the author expressing frustration at being the only psychogeriatrician for a population of 30,000 over the age of 65. He describes soaring referral and re-referral rates, and increased waiting times as well as increasing enquiries about donazepil from patients, carers and health professionals. His local drugs and therapeutics committee has declined to approve the NHS hospital prescription of donepezil and the local fundholding general practitioners are not prepared to pay for it. He mentions about 80 patients in the area who might benefit from the drug.

Keywords:
*letter to the editor/United Kingdom/ Aged Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy* Cholinesterase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* Humans Indans/therapeutic use* Piperidines/therapeutic use* Prescriptions, Drug/economics