The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7439 p189
17 February 2007

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

PDF 90K, Acrobat Reader

• Community pharmacy (3)
• Pfizer proposals
• COPD
• Statins
• Complementary medicine
• NHS
• Physician-assisted suicide (3)
• Prescribing
• Northern Ireland
• Medicines recycling
• Retention fees
• Reciprocity

Letters to the Editor

Prescribing

PCT prescribing policy and national guidance

From Mr C. J. Daly, MRPharmS

In my letter published in The Pharmaceutical Journal of 21 October 2006 (p481) I asked why local NHS bodies sometimes say the opposite of national bodies? My concern was around escitalopram and the fact that in many parts this drug is on a “less desirable list” even though the Scottish Medicines Consortium has approved it and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence includes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in its guidance on anxiety.

My proposition was that the behaviour of local bodies was sometimes contrary to advice given by national bodies because the local body is less able to take into account total health and social care costs and, in some cases, still views budgets individually.

I think this issue is worthy of broader debate and would welcome the views of colleagues through the letters pages of the PJ.

Cathal Daly
Head of Medicines Management
Norfolk Primary Care Trust (Southern)

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Physician-assisted suicide)
Next Topic (Northern Ireland)