The true cost of pharmacological disease prevention

Large randomized clinical trials are considered to represent the strongest form of evidence in assessing whether a particular healthcare intervention works. However, little attention has been paid to the fact that people treated in large multicentre randomised trials may not accurately reflect the population receiving the drug in real world settings. Here, Jarvinen et al examine the true cost of pharmacological disease prevention. According to them, despite widespread use of preventive drugs such as statins, antihypertensives, and bisphosphonates, there is no valid evidence that they represent value for money.