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Digital

Publication, Part of

Prescribing for Diabetes in England - 2005/06 to 2011/12

Official statistics
Publication Date:
Geographic Coverage:
England
Geographical Granularity:
Country, Primary Care Trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Primary Care Organisations
Date Range:
01 Apr 2005 to 31 Mar 2012

Summary

 

This report is the latest in a series of publications on diabetes by The Health and Social Care Information Centre. It covers the period 2005/6 to 2011/12.

 

Highlights

  • In the financial year 2011/12 there were 40.6 million items prescribed for diabetes (British National Formulary (BNF) section 6.1) at a net ingredient cost of £760.3 million. This was a 6.1 per cent (2.3 million) rise in the number of items, from 38.3 million in 2010/11, and a 4.8 per cent (£35.2 million) rise in the net ingredient cost, from £725.1 million in 2010/11. Overall prescribing costs fell between 2010/11 and 2011/12 by 1.3 per cent.
  • Prescribing for diabetes accounted for 4.2 per cent of items and 8.9 per cent of the total cost of prescribing in 2011/12 compared with, 4.1 per cent and 8.4 per cent in 2010/11, and 3.7 per cent and 6.6 per cent in 2005/6.
  • Over the period 2005/6 to 2011/12 there was an increase in the number of items for diabetes of 49.9 per cent (13.5 million) and in net ingredient cost of 47.9 per cent (£246.3 million). In 2005/6 there were 27.1 million items at a cost of £513.9 million. This growth compares with a growth of 33.2 per cent in items and 10.7 per cent for cost of all prescribing over the same period.
  • In 2011/12 there were 6.1 million insulin items (British National Formulary 6.1.1), representing 14.9 per cent of all items prescribed for diabetes, prescribed at a net ingredient cost of £314.7 million. Compared with the previous financial year this was an increase of 3.3 per cent in the number of items from 5.9 million and a 2.4 per cent increase in net ingredient cost from £307.5 million. Human analogue insulins were the most commonly prescribed form of insulin.
  • In 2011/12 there were 28.0 million items prescribed for Antidiabetic drugs (BNF 6.1.2), representing 68.9 per cent of all items for diabetes, at a net ingredient cost of £281.0 million. This was an increase of 8.1 per cent in the number of items and an 8.4 per cent increase in net ingredient cost compared to 2010/11 (when there were 25.9 million Antidiabetic drug items prescribed at a net ingredient cost of £259.1 million). Since 2005/6, items and net ingredient cost of Antidiabetic drugs have increased by 73.6 per cent and 91.4 per cent respectively.

Administrative Sources

NHS BSA, Quality and Outcomes Framework,ePACT, QOF, NDA

Resources

Last edited: 30 March 2022 7:39 am