NHS prescriptions surge to 1 billion in a single year

An incredible milestone has been reached, with a record 1 billion NHS prescriptions dispensed within a single year for the first time ever in England, according to new statistics compiled by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

The figure was met during 2012 across England and represents a 62% surge from the previous decade, when 383.5 million items were dispensed. The billion prescriptions dispensed is the equivalent of 2.7 million items each a day, or over 1,900 a minute.

Other figures in a report released by the HSCIC show that on average the NHS dispensed 18.7 items per person in 2012, whilst in 2002 it was just 12.4 per person. Moreover, the net cost per item has dropped from £11.10 in 2002 to £8.50 in 2012.

It is believed that an increasingly large and aging population are behind the increase in prescriptions as well as more patents beginning to expire and inexpensive generic alternatives becoming available.
For example, the net cost of the cholesterol-boosting medication atorvastatin (marketed as Lipitor by U.S. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer) dramatically dropped during 2011 and 2012 from £310.9 million to £166.6 million.

Since then, Pfizer have also lost the UK patent for Viagra, meaning certain other pharmaceutical companies are able to produce an erectile dysfunction medication that contains Viagra’s active ingredient sildenafil citrate, at a significantly lower cost to the patient. Sildenafil Teva and Sildenafil Actavis are two such examples to emerge since the UK Viagra patent ended on June 21.

In what could be a testament to Britain’s burgeoning obesity crisis, for the sixth consecutive year diabetes prescriptions were the biggest cost by treatment area, costing £768 million in 2012 – representing a 2.2% (£16 million) increase from 2011.

Since 1996 the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK has risen from 1.4 million to 2.9 million, of which an estimated 90% are believed to have type 2, which can be caused by either being overweight or obese. Health experts predict that by 2025 5 million people in the UK will have diabetes.

Commenting on the prescription increase, HSCIC chairman Kingsley Manning said: “For the first time, one billion prescription medicines have been dispensed to our communities in just one year. This figure reflects a continuing upward trend in prescription numbers, which is in contrast to a recent fall in total net cost. Total costs have fallen for the second year running and are now at 2009 levels. Our report shows that, while people on average now receive more prescription items, the cost of these per head has dropped in the last two years.”

However, the figures also demonstrate a ‘notable’ rise in the number of antibiotics prescribed – which is causing huge concern. The Government’s chief medical officer has previously spoken of fear that the body’s increasing resistance to antibiotics is one of the biggest threats to modern health.

Professor Dame Sally Davies said many drugs are unnecessarily dished out for mild infections or illnesses and this helping to create a resistance to them, warning that even routine operations such as hip replacements could become fatal if we lose the ability to fight off infection.

Condoms boost friendly vaginal bacteria

There are a multitude of reasons you should always use a condom during sex. The two most glaringly obvious ones are that this helps to prevents the contraction of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – although there is still a risk with oral sex if no condom is used – and they also severely minimise the chances of an unwanted pregnancy. Using condoms could be viewed as a mature act, showing you take care of your sexual health and are responsible.

The benefits of condoms may extend beyond these factors though, according to a Chinese study which found that sexually active women who use condoms have boosted levels of friendly bacteria called Lactobacillus within the vagina.

Lactobacillus is present in different areas of the body such as the digestive, urinary, and genital systems and supplements of the bacteria are sometimes given to women suffering with vaginal infections or urinary tract infections (UTIs) – although Trimethoprim is still one of the most effective treatments for both cystitis and various other urinary tract infections.

In the vagina, the production of lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide from the Lactobacillus is generally believed to be useful for protection against bacterial vaginosis (BV).

BV is the most common type of vaginal infection and is brought on when there is too much ‘bad’ bacteria and not enough of the ‘good bacteria’. Health experts are still not sure what causes the imbalance to occur but often the risk is increased if: you smoke, are pregnant, have a new sexual partner, have several sexual partners, use scented soap or bubble bath or use vaginal deodorant.

The common symptom is a vaginal discharge which may become very thin and watery, with an unpleasant odour and appear grey or white in colour. Other symptoms include pain after sexual intercourse and pain when urinating.

The Researchers involved in the study at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, assessed the vaginal bacteria of 164 healthy, sexually active married women in China, varying in age between 18 and 45 years old.  All women were not using a hormonal method of contraception.

From the 164 participants, 72 women used condoms, 57 used an intrauterine device (IUD), and 35 were using the ‘rhythm method’. This is where a couple forgoes sexual intercourse during the period of a woman’s cycle when conception is more probable.

Following analysis, it was found that the women using condoms had a 95.8% prevalence of lactobacillus. This was in comparison to just 84.2% in the IUD group and 88.6% in the rhythm group. In addition, a primary factor of normal vaginal microbial flora – L. crispatus – was actually 20% more prevalent in the group using condoms compared to those using an IUD.

The researchers say their study, published in the journal PLOS One, suggests that condoms are beneficial in helping the vagina to maintain its natural acidic defences. “As a perfect barrier, condom can help maintain the vaginal acidic buffer system and the vaginal lactobacilli population when sperm enters vagina during sex,” the researchers wrote.

However, with so many counterfeit condoms  in circulation across the UK and other areas around the world, condoms and other contraception methods should always be obtained from a highly reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. You can rest assured that each medication or product dispensed to our patients is 100% genuine. We have a wide range of both Durex and Skins condoms at great prices from our chemist shop, including an incredible deal of 72 Durex Performa condoms for just £60.00!

Summer holidays cause ‘September spike’ in asthma hospital admissions

Parents are being warned about an increase in the number of children admitted to hospital after they go back to school in September.

The charity Asthma UK say the ‘September Spike’ happens each year in the first two to three weeks of the autumn term and is attributed to poor asthma care over the summer holidays, with a more relaxed approach to medicine use over this period.

They say that three children actually died from asthma attacks in early September of last year, and attacks are usually more prominent because of exposure to common triggers such as cold and flu viruses.

An estimated 1.1 million in the UK suffer from asthma; this equates to about two children in every classroom as having the lung condition. The charity say over 25,000 children required hospital treatment due to their asthma in 2011-12, with 18 children under the age of 14 dying from an asthma attack in 2011.

In addition, the Health and Social Care Information Centre have compiled information showing in 2011-12, 582 children in England required hospital treatment due to their asthma during the week beginning 19th September. This is in comparison to only 125 children for the week commencing 8th August.

However, with proper use of medicine and the correct care, a staggering 75% of hospital admissions could be avoided say the charity. Prevention, i.e. through the use of a preventer inhaler, is a major factor is managing the condition.

If children use their inhaler twice a day during the summer holidays, as they usually would before the break, they can severely reduce their chances of suffering an asthma attack and make sure they are in control of their symptoms.

The problems can begin during the school holidays when families go away to holiday destinations or leave children in the care of others who are either not aware of the child’s asthma or not fully clued up on how it is best treated/managed.

Delia Balan, Asthma UK’s senior nurse, says poor inhaler use is a problem that appears at around the same time each year: “Some children are out of their routine; they’re getting up later, going off on holidays, staying at their grandparents’ houses, and maybe some children are feeling better because it’s summer.”

Deputy chief executive Dr Samantha Walker added: “Normal routines can go out of the window during the summer break, which can effectively create a time-bomb for children with asthma. Those who forget to take their preventer inhalers over the summer will be less in control of their symptoms and therefore more vulnerable to asthma attacks come term time.”

The charity has now launched the ‘Teach Asthma a Lesson Next Term!’ campaign which is aimed at encouraging parents, healthcare professionals and schools to get a head start in combating the September asthma problem.

As part of the campaign, Asthma UK’s free, award winning My Asthma pack will be available to help parents create a fun routine with their child to manage their asthma and reduce the risk of attacks. The pack is aimed at children aged 6 to 12 and should be discussed with a doctor or nurse in order to fully reap the benefits of it.

Man blames Viagra overdose for car tax dodging

Failing to pay your car tax is no laughing matter as one motorist found out the hard way after the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) were alerted on their computers to his expired tax disc.

Tracking him down to his house, the DVLA however were perhaps not prepared for the dubious excuse he provided them for his misdemeanour – a Viagra overdose.

The blue diamond shaped pill known as Viagra is a highly popular treatment option for erectile dysfunction by helping the blood vessels to relax in your penis.  It is worth bearing in mind that Viagra will only help you to get an erection if you are sexually stimulated or aroused and works for up to about 4 hours.

This means there is plenty of time to be spontaneous with your partner – but also plenty of time to pop down to the post office to renew car tax on any given day!

Obviously for privacy and to spare his blushes, the man’s name has not been disclosed, but his excuse for not going to his local post office to renew his car tax did not go down well with the DVLA and he was promptly hit with a fine.

Carolyn Williams, head of digital services for the DVLA, says they receive plenty of ridiculous reasons for failing to renew tax, and this is up there with the worst, especially since motorists can now renew their tax online without ever needing to leave their home.

She said: “The vast majority of people tax their car on time and it is easier than ever before. But it amazes me to see the excuses people come up with.”

Motorists who either do not renew their car tax on time or declare a vehicle off-road can face a fine of £80 — increasing to £5,000 for the worst offenders.

Besides the common excuse of “my dog ate the reminder”, other absurd reasons Carolyn says they have heard include one motorist claiming they had fallen from a tree picking plums, whereas another said the bookies was much more tempting than paying car tax; “There was a horse running at Doncaster called Don’t Do It — so I bet on that with my car tax money instead. It lost.”

Whether the man mentioned earlier really did overdose on Viagra is open for debate. The recommended dose for the majority of patients is 50mg taken as required, one hour prior to sexual activity. Depending of tolerance and effectiveness, this dose can be increased to 100 mg or decreased to 25 mg, with a maximum recommended dosing frequency of one per day.

If you suspect you have overdosed on either Viagra or sildenafil citrate (the active ingredient in Viagra), you must seek emergency medical attention immediately. Some of the symptoms for a Viagra/sildenafil overdose include: Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), chest pain as a result of dilation of your blood vessels resulting in Hypotension (low blood pressure), severe dizziness and a painful/prolonged erection.

Cholesterol-lowering statins may also lower Parkinson’s risk

New research suggests that cholesterol-lowering statins may play a pivotal role in the development of new treatment for the progressive neurological disorder Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s is complex condition and different people may experience a wide variety of different symptoms. Common symptoms however include: tremors (shaking), rigidity (stiffness) and a slowness of physical movements (known as bradykinesia).

Statins such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor) are currently taken by around 7 million people in Britain, and work by decreasing rates of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (‘bad cholesterol’) by reducing the production of LDL cholesterol inside the liver. It is dangerous to have high rates of LDL cholesterol as this causes the arteries to become narrower and harder (atherosclerosis), causing a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and coronary heart disease.

The history of statins can be traced back 42 years to 1971 when a Japanese biochemist named Akira Endo, working at pharmaceutical company Sankyo, pioneered the search for a drug that would help to lower-cholesterol.

Since 1971, statins have soared in popularity and scientists have unearthed other potential uses for the class of drugs, aside from their cholesterol benefits – which last year were shown to have reduced heart attack deaths by half.

For instance, studies have linked statins to helping treat erectile dysfunction, liver cancer, and have even been explored as beneficial for asthma patients.

The new study into statins comes from Taiwanese research published online yesterday in the journal Neurology.

After analysis of almost 44,000 patients, scientists at the National Taiwan University Hospital discovered that taking those patients who stopped taking fat-soluble statins such as simvastatin (Zocor) or atorvastatin (Lipitor) were approximately 58% more at risk of developing Parkinson’s in comparison to patients who carried on taking the statins.

Unlike water-soluble statins, it is generally believed that fat-soluble statins pass through the blood-brain barrier, helping to reduce inflammation and could even alter dopamine pathways in the brain that are associated with Parkinson’s.

The Taiwanese national health insurance program has forbidden doctors to prescribe statins to a patient once their target cholesterol level has been reached.

This policy will be scrapped Aug. 1, but has made it possible for this study to compare the potential difference in Parkinson’s risk in patients who stopped taking statins against those still taking them.

“This policy allowed us to see whether there was any difference in the risk of Parkinson’s in people who stopped taking statins compared to the ones who kept taking them, ” said study author Dr Jou-Wei Lin, a cardiologist at National Taiwan University Hospital.  “We are more glad than surprised to demonstrate the relationship. Our analysis is observational…and further clinical trials targeting the association between statin use and Parkinson’s disease are still needed.”

Dr Kieran Breen, from the charity Parkinson’s UK, however warned people who suffer with Parkinson’s should never treat themselves with statin medication unless they have been advised to do so by their own GP.

Xolair asthma injections now available to children

Severely asthmatic children as young as just six years of age are now permitted a “life-changing” drug, following yesterday’s U-turn by a health watchdog.

This means that thousands of children aged six to 11 suffering with severe allergic asthma will be able to receive the benefits from omalizumab injections for the very first time.

Omalizumab, marketed as Xolair, is a long-term therapy usually administered via injection on a two week or monthly basis. It works to target the IgE antibody as people with severe allergic asthma have an elevated amount of IgE within their blood. This antibody causes the immune system to over-react upon the person coming into contact with their allergen, triggering asthma symptoms.

Approximately 2,000 severely affected patients have received the drug since its 2007 approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), who are responsible for NHS drug monitoring in addition to offering guidance and support.

Xolair was initially restricted to adults and children over the age of 12, but only if the patient had been admitted to hospital following a severe attack at least once.

In November of last year, NICE claimed Xolair was less effective and more expensive than they had first thought and spoke of ceasing offering the drug to new asthma patients.

That proposal caused outrage from doctors and patient groups, leading to charity Asthma UK campaigning for NICE to reverse the controversial plan. Asthma UK argued that omalizumab resulted in life-changing improvements by dramatically decreasing the number of attacks experienced by asthma patients.

However, NICE have now acknowledged the “life-changing” impact of Xolair reported by patients on the drug and say that as an addition to optimised standard therapy; Xolair is more clinically effective for the treatment of severe persistent allergic asthma than optimised standard therapy alone, causing total emergency visits to decrease. These include: A&E visits, hospital admissions and unscheduled GP appointments in adults.

In fact, studies have demonstrated how the drug has helped to cut hospital admissions by an incredible 61% and asthma attacks by an incredible 54% in patients with severe allergic asthma.
One of the patients the drug has been beneficial to is Olympic Team GB swimmer Jo Jackson, who competed in the London games last year and was a medallist at Beijing in 2008. Jackson has previously spoken about the treatment saving her career.

Going forward, the NHS will be required to incur the costs of the drug for those eligible from the 14,000 people with severe allergic asthma in the UK. Children and adults in Scotland are already eligible for Xolair, and Wales is expected to soon follow suit.

Xolair is produced by Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Novartis and averages about £8,000 in cost annually. However, the cost may range from anywhere between £1,665 to £26,640 each year depending on dose and frequency.

Dr Samantha Walker, of Asthma UK, said: “While it’s not suitable for everyone, people with severe allergic asthma who benefit from taking Xolair can see a massive improvement in their quality of life. Without it, many would be virtually housebound because of breathlessness and living in constant fear of the next life-threatening asthma attack.”

Heart disease risk for men who often skip breakfast

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this popular phrase may actually be true. In fact, so important, it could save your life.

Regularly missing breakfast may put older men at risk of suffering from a fatal heart attack or coronary heart disease by as much as a quarter in comparison to their peers who eat a morning meal, according to the findings from a U.S. study.

The new research was published on Monday in the journal Circulation, and was derived from a study spanning 16 years between 1992 and 2008. Participating in the study were 26,902 male health professionals (i.e. dentists and veterinarians) aged between 45 and 82 years, who completed food frequency questionnaires.  To be involved in the study, the men could not have a history of cancer, coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack or stroke.

Researchers noted over the course of the follow-up period that 1,572 men had experienced a ‘first-time’ cardiac event such as a non-fatal heart attack or died due to coronary heart disease. This included 171 who said they skipped breakfast.

Therefore, over 7% of the men who skipped breakfast had heart attacks, compared to nearly 6% of those who did not skip breakfast.

Assessing all the data, taking into account factors such as smoking, drinking, diet and health problems like high blood pressure and obesity, researchers discovered that the men who admitted they did not eat breakfast were at a 27% higher risk of heart attack or death from coronary heart disease than those who said they did eat a morning meal.

Typically those who didn’t bother with a breakfast were younger, single, heavier drinkers, smokers, in full-time employment and who did not do as much exercise. A potential flaw with the study though could simply be that people who make sure they have a regular breakfast also tend to have a healthier lifestyle.

Eric Rimm, one of the study authors at the Harvard School of Public Health, says past research may have found a connection between breakfast and obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other health problems seen as precursors to heart problems, “But no studies looked at long-term risk of heart attack”, he says.

However, lead author Leah Cahill, tried to explain possible reasons behind the new findings of the study: “Skipping breakfast may lead to one or more risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which may in turn lead to a heart attack over time.”

The British Heart Foundation’s senior dietician, Victoria Taylor, attempted to alleviate some degree of panic, and said further research needs to be conducted – highlighting the fact no women were actually included in the study.

She commented on the study findings: “In the morning rush it can be all too easy to skip breakfast, but this study suggests this could have a bigger impact on our health than we might think. However, these researchers only looked at men aged over 45, so we would need to see further research to confirm that breakfast has the same impact on the heart health of other groups of people. What we do know is that a healthy and filling breakfast can make that mid-morning biscuit less tempting, as well as giving you another opportunity to widen the variety of foods in your diet. Wholegrain toast or cereals like porridge with low-fat milk are a good way to start the day. Try a sliced banana or dried fruit on top and you’ll be on your way to five-a-day before you’ve even left the house.”