Heart disease
The Government has ruled that a type of statin - drugs that reduce the risk of heart attacks - will be available without a prescription for the first time.
The drugs are believed to prevent 6,000-7,000 deaths each year by reducing cholesterol levels. They are prescribed to 1.8 million people. The Department of Health has announced that one type of statin, called simvastatin, will be available over the counter in 10mg doses.
Health Secretary Dr John Reid, said the ruling should help save even more lives. "We have already seen a 23% fall in premature death rates from heart disease and stroke over the past five years, on line to meet our target of a 40% reduction by 2010.
"This new move will allow more people to protect themselves from the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks. By extending access to this drug we are giving people more choice about how to protect their health."
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has welcomed the announcement. Sir Charles George, medical director of the BHF, said it was confident that making access to the drug easier would save lives, but urged patients to reduce the risk of heart disease through other means as well.
"The evidence is that people at risk of heart attack and stroke, taking 10mg of simvastatin each night, can reduce their risk by about 27%.
"However, patients should be encouraged to accept the offer of reliable cholesterol checks as well as taking appropriate lifestyle measures. These include stopping smoking, controlling their weight, eating a balanced diet and taking more exercise," he said.
