Newsletter/ Health Watch/ Schizophrenics denied modern drugs

04 декабря, 2002
Thousands of people with schizophrenia are being denied the choice of modern drugs, despite guidance from the medicines watchdog to end rationing, it has been claimed. Europe Intelligence Wire via NewsEdge Corporation : Thousands of people with schizophrenia are being denied the choice of modern drugs, despite guidance from the medicines watchdog to end rationing, it has been claimed. In June this year the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) recommended that people newly diagnosed with schizophrenia should be offered 'atypical' anti-psychotic drugs. It also said those who had treatment-resistant schizophrenia should be given the specialist medicine clozapine at the earliest opportunity. In all cases, Nice said the choice of medicine should be made jointly by the individual and clinician. The medicines watchdog gave health organisations three months in which to comply with this guidance. However a survey released by the charity 'Rethink Severe Mental Illness' suggested many people are still being denied the choice of the new types of medicines. On present trends it warned that it will be October 2005 before the Nice decision is fully implemented. The survey found 97 per cent of Primary Care Trusts who took part in the poll knew of the Nice ruling, but just 80 per cent had implemented it, and 78 per cent said they were experiencing financial pressure from the decision. Some 55 per cent of PCTs surveyed said they had increased choice and 47 per cent of service users and carers said they now felt more involved. Paul Farmer, director of public affairs for Rethink, said: "People with severe mental illness are still being treated like second class citizens despite the Nice ruling that was supposed to ensure they were no longer forced to take cheap, unsuitable medicines. "But Nice is being flouted by cash-strapped health bodies. Even those that are complying report serious financial pressures, threatening unnecessary cuts in services elsewhere to pay for implementation.'' He said Nice should carry out a full compliance audit of prescribers and the Government should pledge the money for full implementation without delay. "Mental health has been the Cinderella service of the NHS for too long,'' he said. "Second class citizenship for people with severe mental illness is no longer an option.'' Rethink is the operating name of the National Schizophrenic Fellowship. The findings of the survey were presented during the charity's conference at Congress House in Great Russell Street, London. A Department of Health spokeswoman said there was already a legal requirement that the NHS had three months, from when guidance was published, to provide funding so clinical decisions can made by doctors involving Nice recommended treatments or drugs. "It is also part of the Commission for Health Improvement's responsibility to look at the implementation of Nice guidance,'' the spokeswoman said. "The whole purpose of Nice is to end the postcode lottery of NHS prescribing and make sure NHS patients get access the most effective drugs and treatments, wherever they happen to live.'' <> << Copyright ©2002 Financial Times Limited, All Rights Reserved >>
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