![]() Some of the pressures to prescribe have come from unexpected sources. In those aged over 65 it is estimated that one in six receives 10 or more drugs. Īn ageing population has led to the increased presence of multiple morbidity, and inevitable polypharmacy. In Northern Ireland, statistics are published by calendar year by the Business Services Organisation.The average net ingredient cost was £7.40, with drugs for treatment of the central nervous system accounting for the highest cost. 76.2 million items were dispensed in 2013. Annual dispensing statistics are published by calendar year by the Welsh government.Generic prescribing has also been increasing steadily. In the 2013-14 year, 98.8 million items were dispensed in Scotland, with number of items also increasing year on year. Similar trends can be found on the Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland website.90% of all prescription items are dispensed free of charge.Falling costs have been due largely to the patents expiring on leading drugs (resulting in huge savings on, for example, atorvastatin where cost fell by 124 million in 2012-13) and the increasing use of generic prescriptions. The fall in the previous years, however, means the average cost per head of population has fallen slightly to £160.18 per year from its peak in 2010. However, there was a slight rise between 20 for the first time in three years. The average net ingredient cost per item has fallen from £11.56 in 2003 to £8.37 in 2013. ![]() The leading section in terms of numbers of items dispensed is "The cardiovascular system". The leading British National Formulary (BNF) section in terms of net ingredient cost for the past seven years has been "Drugs used in diabetes".The total net ingredient cost of prescriptions dispensed was 8.6 billion in 2013.This has gone up from 18.7 in 2012, and from 13.0 in 2003. The average number of prescription items per head of population in 2013 was 19.1.This was a 3% increase from the year before, and a 58.5% increase from 2003. There were 1,030.1 million prescription items dispensed in the community in England in 2013.Its 2014 report on prescribing between 2003-2013 shows the following from information about prescriptions dispensed in the community: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) collects and publishes prescribing data and analyses prescribing trends in England. "Polypharmacy" is an increasing problem, highlighted by a 2013 report from the Kings Fund. Although prescribing is an important part of primary care, it has frequently been described as unnecessary and wasteful. Prescribing is the most common intervention in the NHS across all sectors, and after staffing costs, accounts for the second highest area of expenditure in the NHS. "We are heading towards Pharmageddon" - Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West.ĭrug treatment is the most common form of treatment in primary care.
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