The number of prescription items dispensed in the community increased 3 per cent for the second year in a row, NHS data shows.

The annual number of items dispensed continued to rise above the 1 billion mark, which it first passed as a result of a 4 per cent rise in 2012. The 35m rise to 1.06bn in 2014 was driven by increased demand for antidepressants and antisecretory drugs, figures released by the
Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) on Tuesday (July 7) revealed.

Atorvastatin experienced the greatest increase in the number of items dispensed for the second year in a row, up 4m to 22m items, HSCIC said.

The net ingredient cost of prescriptions last year was £8.85bn, a 2.6 per cent increase of £227.5m from 2013. The average ingredient cost per prescription item was £8.32, a 29 per cent drop since 2004, HSCIC said.

Diabetes drugs remained the most expensive treatments for the eighth year in a row, with their combined cost increasing 7 per cent to £849.1m in 2014, HSCIC said. The cost of prescribing anticoagulants rose by 48 per cent to £138.6m over the year, while the cost of epilepsy treatments increased 11 per cent to £46.6m.

Ninety per cent of prescription items were dispensed free of charge and 60 per cent of those were dispensed for patients aged over 60. This was the same proportion as last year, the figures showed.

What drugs do you expect to drive prescription growth in the next few years?

We want to hear your views, but please express them in the spirit of a constructive, professional debate. For more information about what this means, please click here to see our community principles and information