Top price high blood pressure drugs pushed by companies

Consumer group Choice, claims that the most effective drug to treat high blood pressure is not advertised in newspapers targeted at doctors, because it would not result in a substantial profit for drug companies.

Choice looked at advertising from drug companies published in ‘Australian Doctor’ and ‘Medical Observer, and found that they were featuring patented drugs that would benefit companies financially, despite being more expensive for consumers, and adding to the cost of the publicly subsidised Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

The most commonly advertised drugs were for high blood pressure, with 93% of the adertisements aimed at GPs for new patented drugs, when there were older and equally effective cheaper treatments available.

The highly promoted and expensive under patent Coversyl dominated blood pressure advertisements and had 2.8 million prescriptions in 2005-06, compared with 35,000 for another drug Chlorthalidone.

The most commonly prescribed patent drugs such as Coversyl require a maximum payment of $31.40 compared to $6.50 to $17 a month for Chlorthalidone, Choice reported.