Prescriptions for diabetes have increased by over 80%  over the past decade, according to the latest figures from NHS Digital.

GP prescriptions for diabetes drugs have increased by 80% between April 2006 to March 2017, while overall prescriptions have only increased by 46%, according to NHS Digital’s latest report.

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In the last year, diabetes prescriptions grew more than twice as fast as overall primary care prescriptions. An estimated 8% of the adult population have diabetes, which has a global economic cost of around £450 billion.

Prescriptions for the most commonly prescribed diabetes drug (metformin) rose by 52% over the same period. Over the past decade, prescriptions of metformin have more than doubled from 9.4 million items to 20.8 million.

Costly drugs

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The relative cost of diabetes prescriptions has also increased. In the past year, prescription items for diabetes accounted for £1 of every £9 of prescriptions across primary care, while in 2006 they accounted for less than £1 in every £14.

Usually, insulin is the most expensive drug used to treat diabetes, but new products classed as ‘other antidiabetic drugs’ have taken over. These treatments cost the NHS over £322 million in 2017, an increase of almost £220 million from 2006.

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Diabetes prescriptions in England: The facts

  • 2006/7 – 28.9 million items dispensed
  • 2015/16 – 49.7 million items dispensed
  • 2016/17 – 52 million items dispensed
  • In 2016/17, items prescribed for diabetes had a total NIC of £983.7 million, compared to £572.4 million in 2006/7.
  • Drugs used in diabetes make up 4.7% of all prescription items, and 11% of total primary care net ingredient costs (NIC).