English Prescription Spending Up 7.8%

Prescription items dispensed in England in 1994 totaled 456 million, an increase of 2.4% over 1993, and their basic cost was L3.4 billion ($5.4 billion), up 7.8% on the previous year and the lowest rate of rise since 1989, according to a new Statistical Bulletin published by the UK Department of Health.

The number of prescription items dispensed per head was 9.4 in 1994, compared to 9.2 in 1993, and 83% were dispensed free to the patient. Over half of all prescription items were written generically, compared with under 24% in 1984.

Looking at individual therapeutic groups, the Bulletin says the cost of cardiovascular drugs was higher than any other group, and the number of prescription items dispensed for central nervous system drugs was higher than any other group. Drugs for malignant disease and immunosuppression had the highest cost per prescription item and, at 10%, the highest rate of rise in prescription numbers. the highest rate of rise in basic cost was 25% for immunologicals and vaccines, up from L61 million in 1993 to L77 million.