Scotland\'s hospital drugs bill up 76% in five years

Scotland\'s public spending watchdog has reported a 76% rise in pharmaceutical expenditure in Scottish National Health Service  hospitals, reaching GBP222.0 million ($322.7 million) in fiscal year  2007-2008. The comparable figure five years previously was GBP126.0  million.

Audit Scotland noted that the amount was equivalent to an annual GBP70 per  hospital-treated patient, although this is only 6% of the total cost of  treating people. The watchdog focused on \"expensive medicines\" as having  a disproportionate share of spending, with four agents accounting for  GBP25.0 million - about 11% of the total.

Despite these concerns, the Scottish Medicines Consortium, which  determines which therapies will be made available to NHS patients in  Scotland, was credited by auditors with providing health authorities  with useful data about the financial impact of new drugs on local  budgets. However, failings in the implementation of a centralized  database by the government-owned health care provider were noted by  Audit Scotland.