Dispensing volume growth slows
The annual number of prescriptions dispensed in England has exceeded 1 billion for the first time, with a rise in demand for atorvastatin, antidepressants and drugs to treat diabetes fuelling 3 per cent growth over 2012
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The growth rate of dispensing volume in England fell last year, NHS statistics have shown.
The annual number of prescription items dispensed in the community rose 3 per cent to 1.03 billion in 2013, driven by increases in statins, antidepressants and diabetes drugs, revealed a report by the Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), published on Wednesday (July 9).
The number - which includes prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and GPs - topped 1 billion for the first time in 2012 as a result of a 4 per cent rise. The latest update means the number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England has increased 59 per cent in the past decade, from 649.7 million in 2003.
The overall net ingredient cost (NIC) of prescriptions has increased by 15 per cent over that time. Atorvastatin had the greatest increase in the number of items dispensed from 2012 to 2013, with a 42 per cent rise to 18.3 million, the report found. Ninety per cent of prescription items were dispensed free of charge in 2013, and 60 per cent of those were dispensed to patients over 60 compared to less than 5 per cent dispensed to under-18s. The findings regarding free-of-charge dispensing would allow the NHS to "understand the provision required" for Britain's ageing population, said HSCIC chair Kingsley Manning.
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