The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7300 p632
22 May 2004

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Lancet concludes that OTC statins are not the answer

The UK public will be guinea pigs in what The Lancet describes as a large-scale over-the-counter experiment when simvastatin becomes available for sale through pharmacies this summer. “If the Government is serious about preventing heart disease then privatisation of that prevention is not the answer,” an editorial says (2004;363:1659).

The Lancet asks whether pharmacists will have the time to determine somebody’s heart disease risk before selling simvastatin. It raises concerns about the lack of evidence for using statins in primary prevention and reminds pharmacists that they will have to be vigilant about possible drug interactions.