The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7481 p641
8 December 2007

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Elderly willing to pay for drugs

Older people would be prepared to pay for medicines and treatment that are not available on the NHS, a Saga/Populus poll has found.

The survey of 6,000 people over the age of 65 years found that 52 per cent of them would be willing to pay for treatments that are not available on the NHS because the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has ruled that they are not cost-effective.

On average, the over-50s would be willing to pay up to £1,500 a year for treatment, with one in 10 being prepared to pay more than £5,200 a year.