Pill to cut fat is NHS Scotland's most used

News Reporter

Wednesday 27 June 2012

A DRUG for reducing cholesterol has become the most commonly prescribed medication in Scotland, overtaking aspirin for the first time.

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Helen McArdle

The latest figures by ISD on drug dispensing by NHS Scotland show that 3.07 million prescriptions for simvastatin were issued to patients in the 2011/12 financial year.

That puts it in first place ahead of omeprazole, a drug which helps neutralise stomach acid, which accounted for 3.06 million prescriptions last year. Aspirin – traditionally the most prescribed medication in Scotland – has dropped to third place with 2.89 million prescriptions, compared to three million in 2010/11.

Simvastatin is one of a family of drugs – known as statins – which are used to help control cholesterol levels by reducing the amount of lipids, or fat molecules, in the bloodstream. Simvastatin is typically prescribed to patients whose elevated levels of blood cholesterol are putting them at risk of heart disease and blood vessel damage, although it can also be given to patients whose cholesterol is healthy but who have a family history of heart disease.Professor Keith Oldroyd, cardiologist at the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank, said the figures pointed to a swing away from aspirin in favour of statins to prevent heart attacks and strokes. He said: "I would suspect it's related to the use of aspirin in the setting of primary care getting a bit of a bad press recently, insofar as it increases the risk of internal bleeding without reducing risk of strokes and heart disease. At the same time, we know statins prevent heart attacks and strokes, but there is also evidence of other effects – such as reducing the incidence of dementia. But it's important to note that people who have had a heart attack and are being treated in hospital will still get simvastatin and aspirin."The main cause of high blood-cholesterol is a diet heavy in saturated fat, typically found in deep-fried foods, full-fat dairy products, butter, bacon, sausages and certain cooking oils. It is the first time since ISD began collecting the data four years ago that aspirin, a painkiller and anti-inflammatory which also works as a blood-thinning agent, has not been the most commonly used drug on the health service. Research published in the Lancet in March also indicated that aspirin may reduce a person's chances of developing cancer and prevent the disease spreading. However, the doctors advised that the risk of side effects, such as internal bleeding, still outweigh any potential benefits. Mr Oldroyd added that the fall in the cost of statins was another factor driving increased prescriptions of simvastatin. "It's generic, inexpensive, and effective," he said."It was the second statin released on to the market so it is very well-established, doctors have no qualms about using it, and it's very well tolerated by patients in comparison to some other statins." The ISD figures also revealed that the total cost of prescriptions in Scotland last year rose by 3.2% to £1.18 billion.

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Pill to cut fat is NHS Scotland's most used

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