The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7278 p768
6 December 2003

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Consider cost-effectiveness

National treatment guidelines should consider cost-effectiveness, says the author of a study published in the BMJ (2003;327:1264).

Dr Tom Marshall analysed the cost-effectiveness of treatments for preventing coronary heart disease and concludes: “A more efficient prevention strategy [than current national guidelines] would be to offer aspirin and initial antihypertensive treatment to all people at over 7.5 per cent five-year coronary risk before offering statins to patients at 30 per cent five-year risk,” he says.