Analysis reveals there were 800,000 fewer prescriptions for drugs during ... trends now
More than 800,000 people may have missed out on blood pressure pills and statins because of the Covid pandemic.
Almost half a million fewer people received new prescriptions for blood pressure tablets between April 2020 and July 2021, new analysis shows.
The fall in these prescriptions, compared to the pre-pandemic period, could mean more than 13,000 people suffering avoidable cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes.
Meanwhile around 316,000 fewer people were newly prescribed statins and similar cholesterol-busting medications during the pandemic.
Almost half a million fewer people received new prescriptions for blood pressure tablets between April 2020 and July 2021, new analysis shows
Meanwhile around 316,000 fewer people were newly prescribed statins and similar cholesterol-busting medications during the pandemic
People missed out on blood pressure checks and blood tests for cholesterol due to lockdowns and Covid restrictions, and these checks could not be done remotely when telephone appointments increased during the pandemic.
Researchers tracked 1.32 billion records of medications, dispensed to 15.8 million people in England, Scotland and Wales over 16 months of the pandemic, as a way to determine the number of missed cases of high blood pressure, cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.
They conclude almost 11,000 avoidable cardiovascular events could still be prevented if people who missed out on blood pressure pills and statins during Covid are identified and prescribed them within five years.
Professor Reecha Sofat, senior author of the study from the University of Liverpool, said: ‘These missed prescriptions, and the risk of cardiovascular events, highlight the importance of being aware of blood pressure.
‘People can measure their blood pressure at home using cuffs which are available on the high street, or pharmacists
