NHS 'overspending by millions' on drugs - report by Britain's Office of Fair Trading

NHS 'overspending by millions' on drugs

Extract:

"Drugs companies are being paid millions of pounds too much by the NHS for branded medicines, according to the Office of Fair Trading.

Some treatments currently prescribed in large quantities are up to ten times more expensive than products which deliver similar results, the competition watchdog claims in a new report.

The prices paid for cholesterol, blood pressure and stomach acid drugs in particular are said to be “significantly out of line with patient benefits”. "

Blood pressure problems are usually caused by fluid retention and salt sensitivity and are most safely addressed by cutting down on salt/sodium intake. Another effective way to reduce fluid retention is by diuretics, the cheapest of which costs only a few pence per tablet.

Cholesterol problems also tend to develop in the wake of fluid retention/hypervolemia/obesity and so to prevent or reduce many health problems, eating less salt is a wise, safe, cost-free course of action.

And the most sinister and shameful aspect of all this drug expenditure, is that the widespread and inappropriate prescribing - often in high dose - of steroids, HRT, certain anti-depressants, including amitripyline, and certain other drugs, including many painkillers, are the very cause of the weight gain, the raised blood pressure, et al!