NHS report shows diabetes drugs prescribed increased by 8 million since 2015/16

NHS report shows diabetes drugs prescribed increased by 8 million since 2015/16

NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has just released its statistical report ‘Prescribing for diabetes England 2015/2016 to 2020/2021’.

Key findings of the report include that in 2020/21, there have been 57.9 million drugs used in treating diabetes prescribed in England for a cost of £1.19 billion. This is 12.5% of the total spend on all prescription items prescribed in England. It is an increase from 2015/16 where 49.7 million diabetes items were prescribed for a cost of £958 million - 10.4% of the total spend.

Other key findings show there were over 3.05 million identified patients that were prescribed drugs used in diabetes in England in 2020/21. This was a 1.5% increase from 3 million identified patients in 2019/20, and a 12.7% increase from 2.70 million in 2015/16.

The most deprived areas in England have the highest number of identified patients being prescribed drugs used in treating diabetes in 2020/21.

The most common age group prescribed these drugs in 2020/21 is 70 to 74, this has increased from 2015/16 where the most common age group was 65 to 69.

In England in 2020/21, 43.1 million antidiabetic drug items were prescribed at a cost of £686 million. The costs of antidiabetic drugs have increased by 62% since 2015/16 from £423 million.

To read the report go to: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/prescribing-diabetes-england/prescribing-diabetes-england-201516-202021