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A report in the British Medical Journal says that England's NHS could save in excess of £2 billion over a five year period if prescriptions were switched to generic statins.
Report authors, James Moon and Richard Bogle, both senior doctors, say statin prescriptions have gone up by 30% every year in England for several years - they cost the NHS £738 million in 2004.
Statins now represent the largest part of the NHS drug bill.
40% of all statin prescriptions are for atorvastatin, followed by simvastatin.
85% of prescriptions are for 10 and 20 mg atorvastatin doses, the lower doses.
Simvastatin is much cheaper than atorvastatin as its patent expired. Atorvastatin's patent expires in 2011.
By switching from the lower dose atorvastatin prescription to the cheaper statin the NHS would save £1 billion (pounds sterling) over the next five years.
Another £1 billion will be saved anyway because of the fall in price of simvastatin.
pdf. here
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