The National Osteoporosis Guidelines Group (NOGG), with the support of a wide coalition of professional and patient organisations, including the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS), has launched a new guideline to improve the assessment of fracture risk and identify the most appropriate treatment, where required, for the three million people in the UK living with osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Guideline is now being rolled out across the UK, and can be accessed at www.shef.ac.uk/NOGG.1,2
In October 2008, the National Osteoporosis Society called for a completely fresh appraisal of osteoporosis treatments. This came as NICE published guidance that the charity believes to be ’complex, inflexible and unethical’.1
This followed an open letter written by 40 clinical experts to The Times urging NICE to reconsider its ’unworkable guidance on osteoporosis’.3 They asked that NICE take account of the evidence that a variety of treatments are both clinically beneficial and cost-effective in reducing the risk of fracture.
Previously, The National Osteoporosis Society also wrote to the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, to ask for Government intervention to secure a fresh and open-minded appraisal of osteoporosis treatments by NICE.4 In particular, The National Osteoporosis Society outlined the need for NICE to take into account the results of new treatment trials and the huge costs incurred by not treating patients with osteoporosis. They also wanted NICE to consider using the WHO fracture risk assessment tool (FRAXTM).
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References
1. NOS press release. New osteoporosis guideline promises improved fracture protection for millions across the UK.
2. NOGG. Osteoporosis clinical guideline for the prevention and treatment - executive summary 2008. http://www.shef.ac.uk/...
3. Letter to The Times. NICE must allow treatment to prevent lethal fractures. September 15th 2008
4. Letter to the Secretary of State for Health. National Osteoporosis Society. www.nos.org.uk
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