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Trends in prescribing for diabetes in England: 2018-2019

NHS Digital has published a new report highlighting the trends in the prescription of medicines for the treatment and monitoring of diabetes in England from 2008-2009 to 2018-2019. The data within the report covers prescriptions written by providers in primary care (GPs, nurses and pharmacists), and that are dispensed in the community.

Key findings from the report are as follows:

  • Treatment of diabetes accounted for 12.5 per cent of the total cost of prescribing in 2018-2019.
  • The Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) of prescribing for drugs and devices used in diabetes was £1075 million in 2018-2019.
  • Five per cent of the total number of items prescribed in 2018-2019 was towards the treatment of diabetes.
  • The increase in the cost of prescribing for anti-diabetic drugs has been more than that for other categories of drugs used in diabetes (221.2% increase from 2008-2009 to 2018-2019).
  • For the same period, the increase in NIC of insulin items has been 22.5 per cent and that of diagnostic and monitoring device items has been 26.8 per cent.
  • The increase in the number of prescribed anti-diabetic drugs has been more than that for other categories of drugs used in diabetes (90.2% increase from 2008-2009 to 2018-2019).
  • For the same period, the increase in the number of insulin items has been 35.5 per cent and that of diagnostic and monitoring device items has been 20.3 per cent.
  • The average cost of medicines for diabetes prescribed per patient in 2018-2019 was £327.78.

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