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Diabetes drugs most costly

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Diabetes drugs most costly

The number of prescription items dispensed in the community increased by more than 50 per cent between 2004 and 2014, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

The figures also show that the NHS continues to spend more on drugs for diabetes than any other class of medicine dispensed in the community. Since 2004, the number of drugs dispensed for the condition has nearly doubled. In 2014, 1.06bn prescription items were dispensed in the community, a 3.3 per cent increase on 2013 and a 55.2 per cent rise since 2004.

The total net ingredient cost reached £8.9bn, a 2.6 per cent rise on 2013 and a 9.6 per cent increase on 2004. Most (89.9 per cent) prescription items were free. For the eighth year running, drugs used to treat diabetes were the most costly class with expenditure up by 7.0 per cent since 2013 to £849.1m in 2014 – an 88.5 per cent rise since 2004. The number of prescription items dispensed for diabetes rose by 4.8 per cent between 2013 and 2014, and by 90.8 per cent since 2004.

Atorvastatin showed the greatest increase in the number of items dispensed, with 4m more items dispensed since 2013. The number of antidepressants rose by 7.2 per cent compared to 2013 to 57.1m. Since 2004, the number of antidepressants dispensed has risen by 97.1 per cent.

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