27.06.12
Prescribing costs increase in Scotland
The cost of prescribing in Scotland has increased by £36m in the last year, analysis by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) shows.
In 2011-12, the amount spent on prescriptions was up 3.2% to £1.18bn and the number of items prescribed rose to 94.9 million, an increase of 3.8% from 2010-11. The RCN also found that nine out of 14 health boards inScotlandoverspent on GP prescribing during 2011-12.
The figures raised some concern over whether the health boards could continue to balance their budgets.
RCN Scotland director Theresa Fyffe said: “This latest increase in prescribing costs, on top of years of growing spend on prescribing, comes at a time when the overall health budget is virtually at a standstill. The pressure is mounting on health boards to make increasingly difficult decisions to balance their books while still maintaining quality services that meet growing patient demand.
“That is why we have consistently called for health boards to be more open and honest about what they currently spend their money on and what their plans for the future consist of. Only then will they have a chance of bringing the public, patients and staff with them when they make difficult decisions to change the way health services are provided.”
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