£2 Hayfever Pill Too Expensive For NHS
NOTHING beats the great British Summer – the wasps, the Henmania, the inedible barbeques and of course, the hayfever.
Yet the NHS could have the cure to this annual affliction in the form of wonder drug Grazax. However, the new treatment, which could help transform the lives of the estimated 10 million hayfever sufferers in the UK, is being denied to patients because of a lack of NHS funds.
So far, the majority of NHS trusts have refused to fund the new £2-a-day pill, which works by building up the body’s tolerance to the protein in pollen which irritates the immune system.
A spokesman for Allergy UK says, “The hayfever season is getting longer and the condition can be very debilitating. This pill is very effective and it should be available. We need to see more funding for it.”
But with the drugs rationing watchdog NICE yet to consider Grazax for approval, each individual NHS trust has been left to decide whether or not to fund the drug, with the majority seemingly not interested.
Another summer of coughs and sneezes awaits us.
Posted: 12th, June 2007 | In: Money Comments (2) | TrackBack | Permalink
