Government critical of drugs research

Whether an individual receives the drugs they need to help combat
dementia still depends on where they live, according to research by
drug company Pfizer.

But the Department of Health said that the study was simplistic and
questioned how the calculations were made.

Variations found by the report included the Eastern Health and
Social Services Board in Northern Ireland spending an average of
£10 a head for the over-65s, while in Lothian in Scotland the
figure is less than £1. This is despite the National Institute
for Clinical Excellence stating in 2001 that donepezil,
rivastigmine and galantamine should be made more available.

The research did show that overall spending on dementia drugs had
increased significantly since 1999.

– Research from www.pfizer.co.uk