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 Britain
launched the first over-the-counter cholesterol-lowering drug called
simvastatin, which is considered a newer version of Zocor.
Millions of people have been prescribed statins to help reduce
their chances of having a heart attack. The extremely high number
of people taking statins has turned them into the biggest money
making prescription in the world.
Supporters of the over-the-counter cholesterol medication argued
that offering the drug without requiring a prescription would increase
the drug's availability to people seeking ways to lower their
risk of coronary artery disease. Opponents to the over-the-counter
drug stated that they weren't a safe option due to the likelihood
of being taken unnecessarily or in the wrong doses.
The proposed measures for monitoring this over-the-counter medication
is having the pharmacists question customers about their health
and then offer a variety of health tests as a way to ensure the
safety of the drug.
Some experts view these over-the-counter drugs as a way to slash
the expenses of statin drugs in Britain, which has already reached
$1.28 billion a year.
Yahoo
News July 29, 2004
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