Switching statins

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7554.1344

BMJ 2006;332:1344-1345 (10 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7554.1344

Editorial

Switching statins

Using generic simvastatin as first line could save £2bnover five years in England

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Statins are one of the great success stories of preventive medicine.Extensive evidence, excellent safety, and high efficacy haveresulted in an exponential rise in prescriptions for statins,currently increasing at 30% a year in England. Statins representthe largest drug cost to the NHS (£738 million ( ${euro}$ 1.1bn;$1.4bn) in 2004).¹

Around 85% of all statin prescriptions in England are for simvastatinand atorvastatin, in roughly equal proportions, usually at moderateor low doses (98% of simvastatin is prescribed at $≤$ 40 mg, 85%of atorvastatin at $≤$ 20 mg). In May 2003 the UK simvastatin patentexpired and the cost reduced eightfold for the 40 mg dose and20-fold for the 20 mg dose. The maximum price of simvastatin40 mg is now up to six times cheaper than atorvastatin (£3.89,£18.03, and £24.64 respectively for simvastatin40 mg, atorvastatin 10 mg and 20 mg),² and simvastatin 40 mg. . . [Full text of this article]

James C Moon, specialist registrar

Department of Cardiology, Heart Hospital, UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London W1G 8PH
(james.moon@uclh.nhs.uk)

Richard G Bogle, acting consultant in cardiology and clinical pharmacology

Experimental Medicine and Toxicology, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, UK.

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

A Four to Eight Fold Overestimate of Cost of Simvastatin: John S Ashcroft
bmj.com, 10 Jun 2006 [Full text]
Switching statins works with �an adequate dose� but not �target-chasing�: Martin G Duerden
bmj.com, 12 Jun 2006 [Full text]
Patently absurd: Vadivelu Saravanan
bmj.com, 12 Jun 2006 [Full text]
The individual patient should not be forgotten: Gordon A A Ferns
bmj.com, 12 Jun 2006 [Full text]
NICE tool over-estimates benefits of statins: D Graham Mackenzie
bmj.com, 14 Jun 2006 [Full text]
Switching statins without tears and benefit the NHS: Thomas Lau
bmj.com, 14 Jun 2006 [Full text]
Statin Debate: Economics or Advertising: Tariq Hussain
bmj.com, 15 Jun 2006 [Full text]
Simva switching - slow and variable: Mark B Gregory
bmj.com, 15 Jun 2006 [Full text]
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