It has begun.....

Thu Jul 29, 4:08 AM ET



LONDON (Reuters) - Britain became the first country in the world to sell a cholesterol-lowering drug without a prescription Thursday when a low-dosage form of Merck & Co Inc.'s Zocor was launched.



Statins like Zocor are taken by millions of people around the world to reduce the risk of heart attack and have become the most profitable drugs in the world. But until now they have only be available under doctor supervision.

In a ground-breaking move in May, however, the British government approved the switch to over-the-counter (OTC) status, arguing that easier access would allow more people to protect themselves from the risk of coronary heart disease.

Many doctors have voiced concern about the decision, which they contend will result in some people taking the medicine who do not need it while others could receive an inadequate dose.

The new version of Zocor, or simvastatin, will be marketed by Johnson & Johnson MSD under the brand name Zocor Heart-Pro at a cost of 12.99 pounds per 28-day pack.

The 10-milligram dose is designed for people at moderate risk of heart disease, a number that could total more than seven million.

Pharmacists will be able to sell it to customers after asking about their situation and offering various health tests to ensure it is safe to give them the drug.

The move is expected to help reduce the state's drug bill significantly. Currently, Britain's National Health Service spends around 700 million pounds ($1.28 billion) on statin drugs each year.

The success of the scheme in Britain will be monitored closely by drug regulators around the world, who are under pressure from governments to make more medicines available OTC in order to reduce runaway healthcare costs. ($1=.5488 POUND)