Scottish prescription volume and cost rise
More NHS prescriptions than ever are being dispensed in the community
in Scotland, according to statistics published this week. In addition,
the cost of prescriptions continues to rise.
The data — prescribing statistics for the year 2004–05 — show
that the cost of NHS prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists,
dispensing doctors and appliance suppliers was £859m, up 2 per
cent on the previous year. Drugs used to treat mental illness, respiratory
disease and conditions affecting the endocrine system had the largest
impact on rising costs. Meanwhile, the cost of drugs used in gastrointestinal
and cardiovascular diseases fell, not least because of the impact of
simvastatin coming off patent.
The top 10 drugs dispensed by volume were (in order): aspirin, bendroflumethiazide,
atenolol, co-codamol, salbutamol, simvastatin, levothyroxine, amoxicillin,
omeprazole and lansoprazole.
This compares with the top 10 drugs by cost, which were (in order): lansoprazole,
atorvastatin, simvastatin, omeprazole, salmeterol, amlodipine, clopidogrel,
venlafaxine and pravastatin.
Total prescription volume in 2004–05 was 74.7 million items, a
rise of 3.5 per cent compared with the previous year. This compares with
40.1 million items in 1987–88. Generic prescribing also increased
by just over 1 per cent: 80.1 per cent of prescriptions were written
generically last year. |
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