[Over-the-counter statins: benefit or harmful?].
Making statin available over the counter is one of the measures proposed to correct its underuse. Since May 2004, simvastatin 10 mg is sold over the counter in Great Britain. But uncertainties persist concerning the efficacy of statin in primary prevention and at a 10 mg dose. Finally, there is a risk of side effects and drug interactions. Beyond the correction of statin underuse and the hope of coronary heart disease mortality reduction, the British decision highlighted the will to give individuals a sense of responsibility concerning their health and its financial cost. Anyway, the benefit of switching statin from prescription to over the counter should be experimentally evaluated before its introduction.
Guessous
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I
Institut universitaire de médecine sociale et préventive IUMSP, Unité d'evaluation des soins UES, Rue du Bugnon 17, 1005 Lausanne. Idris.Guessous@hospvd.ch
Rodondi
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N
Paccaud
F
F
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007880:Legislation, Drug; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs