09.07.11
Redemption rates lower for anti-psychotic prescriptions
A greater percentage of anti-psychotic prescriptions go unredeemed compared with other drugs, research from the NHS Information Centre suggests.
A study of 145 GP practices compared redemption rates between prescriptions written and drugs dispensed by pharmacists. It found a slight decrease in total redemption, from 99.6% in 2004 to 98.5% in 2008. The statistics also suggest that anti-psychotic prescriptions have the lowest redemption rate, with 85.1% compared to the average for all other drugs.
NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said: “The study suggests that in the main, patients are redeeming their prescriptions – but there appears to be a lower redemption rate for anti-psychotic prescriptions.
“A patient may not redeem their prescription for several reasons; such as deciding they don’t need the medication; or a reluctance to take a drug they have had side effects from previously. A patient may have lost their prescription or obtained their medication through another source – such as during a stay in hospital.
“The cost of prescriptions may also be a factor – although it is worth noting that another NHS IC report shows that only about one in 20 prescriptions are paid for by the patient.
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