Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands Conservative MSP, last night joined a number of MSPs, physicians, and medical experts, including some from the Highlands & Islands, for a round table discussion on Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation (NVAF)-related stroke prevention.
The event, in the Scottish Parliament, was chaired by Jamie’s Highlands & Islands MSP colleague Rhoda Grant, and was organised by Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BMS) and Pfizer Ltd.
Commenting afterwards, Jamie said:
“It was both fascinating and educational to listen to eminent doctors, professors, and pharmacists discussing stroke-related issues.
“From a Highlands & Islands point of view, I asked about the availability of new anti-coagulant drugs and concerns that these drugs are not being rolled out to more patients who might be in the high-risk or medium-risk category. The answer comes down to cost, of course, but, as Dr Diggle from NHS Shetland pointed out, this is a chicken and egg situation, and drugs don’t get cheaper until they are used more widely.
“As a representative of patients, I would wish to see the best possible drugs used, but also understand the problem of cost implication. It is good news that the drug companies such as Pfizer and BMS are doing significant research and development to produce drugs which will cut the incidence of (Atrial Fibrillation) strokes, and it is important that issues relating to cost implications are resolved as we go forward”.