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Increases in prescription medicines (SBP)

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  • 05-02-2018 12:11pm
    #1
    Kurtosis
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 2,881 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Susan Mitchell of the Sunday Business Post had a couple of pieces in yesterday's paper on the growth in prescribing of various medicines over the last 10 years. Anyone with a subscription should be able to access it here or else some of the figures were highlighted on Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/susmitchellSBP/status/960111809805119488

    Although the numbers weren't necessarily standardised for population changes or increases in the number of prescription items, the figures are pretty stark, in particularly the tenfold increase in Lyrica/pregabalin. I think this is a clear manifestation of the lack of investment in and public access to non-pharmacological treatments for pain, insomnia, depression and other mental health conditions. Without these being available, medicines are sometimes the only treatment a doctor can offer patients who can't afford to pay privately.

    Any thoughts on some of the reasons behind these increases?


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    #2
    Malmedicine
    Registered Users Posts: 500 ✭✭Malmedicine


    Kurtosis wrote: »
    in particularly the tenfold increase in Lyrica/pregabalin. I think this is a clear manifestation of the lack of investment in and public access to non-pharmacological treatments for pain, insomnia, depression and other mental health conditions. Without these being available, medicines are sometimes the only treatment a doctor can offer patients who can't afford to pay privately.

    Any thoughts on some of the reasons behind these increases?

    I think 10 years ago Lyrica was only fairly new to the market, so that may expain some of it.

    I agree regarding the lack of non pharmacological treatments available but I'd counter it with the complete apathy that some patients have for anything that isn't a tablet, capsule or a patch, making it very difficult for the doctor to improve their symptoms without prescribing.


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    #3
    echo beach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭echo beach


    Malmedicine wrote: »
    I agree regarding the lack of non pharmacological treatments available but I'd counter it with the complete apathy that some patients have for anything that isn't a tablet, capsule or a patch, making it very difficult for the doctor to improve their symptoms without prescribing.

    I agree. Many people say they would ‘do anything’ to improve their symptoms but bad mouth any doctor who mentions modest and badly needed lifestyle changes instead of waving a magic wand to solve the problem.


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