Debate Needed on Postcode Prescribing

THE debate on the prescribing of medication for cancer on costeffectiveness needs to be widened to all areas of medicine.

Psychiatric medications can vary enormously in price – the newest anti-psychotics medications, along with the latest anti- depressants, can be very expensive and I am only too aware of long- term patients who are not being given the opportunity to improve the stability of their mental health and the quality of their lives by trying these drugs owing to the area in which they live – this being in keeping with the budgets of their health board, trust or GP practice for prescribing medication.

Some patients have been advised to move to a different area of Scotland to increase their level of care and choice of medication. For a small nation such as ours it says little about the comprehensiveness of our National Health Service.

Jean Johnston, Brincliffe, West Dhuhill Drive, Helensburgh.

Originally published by Newsquest Media Group.

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