The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7225 p744
23 November 2002

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  Public health
  Community pharmacy
  Pharmacy practice
  Drug tariff
  ADR reporting
  Parkinson's disease
  Anticholinesterases
  Medicines distribution
  Patient information
  Training
  CPD
  Onlooker

Letters to the Editor

Anticholinesterases

Other funding factors may be limiting access

From Dr R. Prettyman

As an old age psychiatrist involved in the treatment of people with Alzheimer's disease and the prescription of cholinesterase inhibitor drugs I was interested to read the paper (PDF 50K) by Shubhra Mace and David Taylor (PJ, 9 November, p680) describing, among other things, the current pattern of funding for these drugs in England and Wales. I was, however, slightly surprised to note that there appeared to be a limited budget for these drugs in only 11 health authorities.

In my discussions with colleagues in different parts of the country I cannot recall hearing of anywhere where funding for this treatment is entirely unrestricted. The other issues which need consideration in relation to funding are the associated non-drug costs (medical and other manpower costs, administration costs, pharmacy costs, etc). If these are under-resourced they may well constitute the main factor limiting access to treatment.

Richard Prettyman
Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry for the Elderly
University of Leicester

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