Carers do not count in Alzheimer’s drug verdict, says rationing watchdog

Carers have reacted furiously to official claims that life-changing Alzheimer’s drugs would make ‘zero’ difference to their existence.

The shocking assertion was revealed yesterday on day two of the unprecedented High Court battle by dementia victims to be allowed the drugs which cost a mere £2.50 a day.

The ‘insulting’ edict means devoted husbands and wives who take on the distressing task of caring for an Alzheimer’s sufferer are not being counted when deciding if the treatment is worth the money.

The drugs are denied to most sufferers on cost grounds, even though they are freely available in Scotland. Read more

Carers do not count in Alzheimer’s drug verdict, says rationing watchdog

Carers have reacted furiously to official claims that life-changing Alzheimer’s drugs would make ‘zero’ difference to their existence.

The shocking assertion was revealed yesterday on day two of the unprecedented High Court battle by dementia victims to be allowed the drugs which cost a mere £2.50 a day.

The ‘insulting’ edict means devoted husbands and wives who take on the distressing task of caring for an Alzheimer’s sufferer are not being counted when deciding if the treatment is worth the money.

The drugs are denied to most sufferers on cost grounds, even though they are freely available in Scotland. Read more

Sight-saving drugs “not available”

New treatments that could drastically cut the number of people going blind in Northern Ireland are not being made available to the patients who need them, a charity claims.

Campaigners fear it means some people are experiencing a “postcode lottery” as sufferers in Scotland are successfully receiving jabs for wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

The new sight-saving drugs – Lucentis and Macugen – belong to a group of chemicals known as anti-VEGFs (anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors).

These drugs treat the underlying cause of wet AMD and are given to patients via a course of injections. Read more

Eye disease sufferers ‘going blind in cost row over drugs’

Ulster sufferers of an eye disease are being left to go blind because of indecision among health chiefs on whether to fund new sight-saving drugs, two charities have warned.

The grim warning was delivered ahead of a public meeting being held in Belfast to highlight concerns for those diagnosed from wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Macular Disease Society were set to host the meeting this morning to call for ” immediate action from the Health Service in Northern Ireland to ensure patients get access to new sight saving treatments”.

The meeting comes just a week after concerns were raised by draft guidance from the National Read more

Patients, Pharmaceutical Companies Take Britain to Court Over Alzheimer Drug Access

On Monday, drug companies Eisai and Pfizer joined with the Alzheimer’s Society, a patients group, in asking the British High Court to force the country’s National Health Service to provide access to three Alzheimer’s drugs.

The NHS, which offers free and low-cost medicine to all Britons, currently provides the drugs — donepezil, rivastigmine and galamantine — to people in middle and late stages of the disease.

However, the NHS has followed the advice of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Read more

Video game addiction a mental illness?

CHICAGO: It may seem an obvious diagnosis for parents, but video games might not actually be addictive, the American Medical Association says.

A report recommending that internet and video gaming addiction be considered a mental disorder was watered down after a heated debate broke out among delegates at the association’s annual convention in Chicago.

Some questioned whether there was enough scientific evidence to support claims that excessive game playing is similar to pathological gambling.

Others insisted on more study before advising that parents include video games in a recommended one- to two-hour limit on “screen time.” Read more

Tips: Keeping Kids Safe

Young children can turn a typical home into a house full of potential safety hazards.

Here are suggestions from the American Academy of Family Physicians on how to keep kids safe at home:

* Don’t leave plastic bags or deflated balloons where children can reach them, as these objects pose choking hazards.
* Don’t leave electrical outlets exposed to little fingers — keep plastic covers on all outlets that aren’t used.
* Alcohol, cigarettes, matches and lighters should be kept out a child’s reach. Read more

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