31.07.13
Number of prescriptions soars, but cost is falling
Over a billion prescription items were dispensed in 2012, new statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show.
The report demonstrates a rise of 62.2% more prescription items compared to ten years ago. The increase can mainly be attributed to a larger and ageing population, the HSCIC said.
However the total net cost of prescriptions to the NHS has fallen to £8.5bn, with the net cost per item falling every year since 2004. This is due to expiring patents for several leading medicines and more generic alternatives being made available.
A significant proportion of the prescriptions are for preventing or managing long-term conditions, with prescriptions to treat diabetes again accounting for the biggest cost by treatment area.
Prescriptions for antibiotics have also gone up to 43.3million, costing £195.5m.
HSCIC chair Kingsley Manning said: “For the first time, one billion prescription medicines have been dispensed to our communities in just one year. This figure reflects a continuing upward trend in prescription numbers, which is in contrast to a recent fall in total net cost. Total costs have fallen for the second year running and are now at 2009 levels. Our report shows that while people on average now receive more prescription items, the cost of these per head has dropped in the last two years.
“Today's report does therefore show both the way in which the volume of prescriptions required from the NHS is moving, and that the NHS has been able to manage the cost impact.”
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