55% of English Rx Items Prescribed Generically In 1995

The total number of prescription items dispensed in England during 1995 was 473 million, an increase of 3.8% over 1994, according to a new Statistical Bulletin from the Department of Health. However, it adds that there is a gradual slowing down in the real rate of growth in the costs of drugs dispensed.

The basic cost of prescription items dispensed in 1995 was L3.68 billion ($2.61 billion), up 8.1% since 1994 or 5.6% in real terms. On average, 9.7 items were dispensed per head of population, compared to 9.4 items in 1994, and 84% of prescription items were free to the patient.

55% of all prescriptions items were written generically in 1995, which according to the Bulletin is an increase of 20% over the figure for 1985. It also points out that the total cost of cardiovascular drugs dispensed last year was higher than for any other group of drugs, and that the number of prescription items dispensed for central nervous system drugs was higher than for any other group. Drugs for malignant disease and immunosuppression showed the highest cost per prescription item.