Prescribing statistics, Scotland, year ending March 2004

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 01 Oct 2004 - 10:00 PDT


Update of NHS National Services Scotland Prescribing Information on the ISD website Scottish Health Statistics

New statistics are published today by ISD Scotland showing the number and cost of prescriptions dispensed in the community in Scotland in the year ending 31 March 2004 and are available at;

http://www.isdscotland.org/prescribing

The release includes information on:

-- Cost of drugs and dispensing fees

-- Top ten drugs

-- Prescribing trends

-- Generic prescribing

Key points:

Cost of drugs and dispensing fees

-- In 2003-4, the cost to the NHS of prescription drugs dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors was £839 million, up over 8% on the previous year. The total number of prescriptions dispensed was up nearly 4% to 72.2 million, with the average cost of a prescription also rising by over 4% to £11.62 per item.

-- Taking account of the cost of dispensing fees paid to pharmacists and income from patient charges, the overall cost to the NHS in 2003/4 was £917 million, or £171 for every person registered with a GP in Scotland.

Prescribing trends

-- Figures for 2003-4 were consistent with the trend seen in recent years of a year-on-year increase in both the number and cost of prescriptions for almost all types of drugs. The rate of increase in the cost of prescribing was around 8% in 2003-4, compared with 11% for both 2001/02 and 2002/03.

-- The drugs that had the largest impact on rising costs during 2003-4 were, in common with previous years, those used to treat cardiovascular disease and mental health problems. These drugs accounted for more than £40 million of the overall increase in drug costs in 2003-4.

Top Ten drugs

-- The most commonly prescribed drug in Scotland in 2003-4 was, in common with previous years, Aspirin, which is primarily prescribed to prevent cardiovascular problems.

-- The top ten drugs by cost were again dominated by statins (for controlling cholesterol) and ulcer-healing drugs. The single most costly prescription drug during 2003-4 was Simvastatin, reflecting the increase in prescribing of drugs to treat cardiovascular disease

Generic Drugs

-- Doctors are encouraged to prescribe the generic, or unbranded, version of drugs where available in order to reduce drug costs. In 2003-4 the percentage of all prescriptions written using the generic name rose by 1.7% to 79.06%, continuing the upward trend in recent years.

The statistics can be accessed via:

http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/prescribing

Information Services (ISD Scotland) is responsible for the collection, validation, interpretation and dissemination of information about NHS Scotland.

Background

-- Source: Information Services. The data presented is based on NHS prescriptions that were dispensed in the community in Scotland during the year ending March 2004. This includes prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacies, dispensing doctors and a small number of specialist appliance suppliers. The figures exclude prescriptions that were dispensed by hospital pharmacies and medicines purchased over the counter. They also exclude prescriptions that may have been written for a patient but were never presented for dispensing.

-- This is an Information Services National Statistics release. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards and adhere to codes of practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.

-- Information Services collects, collates and maintains a wide range of health service data sets, which form the national corporate database for NHS Scotland. By providing information, statistical services and effective use of information management and technology, Information Services contributes to health improvement by informing decision-making, research and debate within the NHS, government departments and other organisations. Information Services (ISD) is part of National Services Scotland. For more information about Information Services see the website:

http://www.isdscotland.org.

Further information contact:

Jim Waldron
Principal Information Manager
HealthCare Information Group, Information Services.
tel 0131 275 6859.
email Jim.Waldron@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

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