Head lice: changing the expensive chemotherapy culture.

The revulsion prompted by the discovery of head lice on a child's head, and the money spent by the NHS each year on supplying licensed medicines for head lice, is disproportionate to the medical impact that lice have on their hosts. This article discusses the evidence available on the effectiveness of the commonest parasiticidal preparations, and argues the case for a more rational, simpler and cost-effective response to this common problem.