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Letters to the Editor
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Prescribing
PJ is still guilty of misreporting NICE guidance
From Mr N. J. Staunton, MRPharmS
I refer to my letter
and editor’s response in the PJ, 18 June, p760.
The editor correctly points out that the National Institute of Health and
Clinical Excellence guidance1 states that clopidogrel should only be
used in patients who cannot tolerate aspirin, while MR dipyridamole should
only be used with aspirin and for two years only. The editor then goes
on to say that these restrictions justify the original PJ article headlined “NICE
restricts clopidogrel and dipyridamole”.
I think it is pretty clear to most people that if NICE suggests increasing
the use of one drug (MR dipyridamole) and decreasing the use of another
drug (clopidogrel) a headline stating “restricts use of both” is
not accurate reporting. Accurate reporting of NICE guidance in the PJ is
an important issue; three reviews, all published in 2004 highlight the
great difficulty NICE is having in making any impact with its guidance.
2–4
Come on PJ, please report national guidance accurately.
Noel Staunton
Binstead, Isle of Wight
References
1. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Guidance on
vascular disease — clopidogrel and dipyridamole No 90 — May
2005. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2005
2. Wathen B, Dean T. An evaluation of the impact of NICE guidance on
GP prescribing. British Journal of General Practice 2004;54:103-7
3. Ryan J, Piercy J, James P. Assessment of NICE guidance on two surgical
procedures.
Lancet 2004;363:1525-6
4. Sheldon TA, Cullum N, Dawson D, Lankshear A, Lowson K, Watt I, et
al. What’s
the evidence that NICE guidance has been implemented? Results from a national
evaluation using time series analysis, audit of patients’ notes, and
interviews. BMJ 2004;329:999
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