Heavy drinkers will be offered a pill to help reduce their alcohol intake
Many thousands will be eligible for a new wonder pill aimed at lowering the cravings for consuming all those large glasses of wine or all those beers we keep on chill ready for a good night.
Under new government plans, Local GPs would ask patients about their alcohol consumption even when they visit the surgery for unrelated health conditions.
Drinkers who have a bottle wine or four pints of lager a night will be offered the new wonder pill which helps reduce their addiction and alcohol consumption.
Over 550,000 people will be eligible to take the nalmefene pill to keep their alcohol cravings at bay. Experts claim the wonder drug, which costs £3 a pill, could save as many over 2,000 lives over four years and prevent 44,000 alcohol-related diseases and injuries.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended the drug’s use after recent trials showed it had cut drinking by over 59% over six months when used with counselling.
Leading Professor Carole Longson, for Nice health technology evaluation centre, said: “Alcohol dependence is a very serious issue for many people and we need to tackle this now”.
Those patients who could be prescribed nalmefene have already taken the first steps by visiting their GP, engaging with NHS support services and taking part in therapy programmes.
source: guardian