NHS IT, Records and Data

Diabetes prescriptions up 50% in six years

Diabetes prescriptions top 40 million in England – a rise of 50% since 2005/06 – new figures show. 

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) reported that the net cost of diabetes drugs rose by just under 50% in the same six years, representing a faster and greater growth than overall prescriptions on the NHS. 

The overall cost of all drugs to the NSH fell last year by just over 1%, yet diabetes drugs rose by nearly 5%. In 2010/11, 40.6 million prescription items were dispensed for diabetes, at a net ingredient cost of £760.3m. 

HSCIC chief executive Tim Straughan said: “Our figures show diabetes is having a growing impact on prescribing in a very obvious way – from the amount of prescriptions dispensed to patients in primary care to the annual drugs bill costs to the NHS. 

“Other reports we produce, such as our National Diabetes Audit and the Quality and Outcomes Framework, also demonstrate the impact of diabetes is widespread in all areas of the health service; from pharmacy to hospital care. When all this information is considered together, it presents a full and somewhat concerning picture of the increasing impact of this condition.” 

The report is at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/prescribingdiabetes0512 

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