Anti-alcohol pill set to be prescribed in England and Wales

A pill designed to reduce alcohol consumption among problem drinkers looks set to be made available to NHS patients in England and Wales.

Nalmefene should be made available to people who regularly drink high amounts of alcohol, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said.

Costing just over £3 a tablet, it is already prescribed in Scotland.

Final guidance is set to be published next month and NICE says 600,000 people would be eligible for the drug.

Branwen Jeffreys reports.