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Digital

Publication, Part of

Prescribing for Diabetes in England - 2004/05 to 2009/10

Official statistics
Publication Date:
Geographic Coverage:
England
Geographical Granularity:
Country, Primary Care Trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Primary Care Organisations
Date Range:
01 Apr 2004 to 31 Mar 2010

Summary

This report is the latest in a series of publications on diabetes by The NHS Information Centre. It covers the period 2004/5 to 2009/10.

Highlights

  • Diabetes prevalence grew from 3.3 per cent in 2004/5 to 4.1 per cent in 2008/9
  • Costs rose from £458.6 million in 2004/5 to £649.2 million in 2009/10.
  • Use of the oral antidiabetic metformin rose from 7.6 million items in 2004/5 to 13.2 million in 2009/10. This follows NICE's recommendation that this drug should be first choice for oral therapy.
  • The thiazolidinediones (pioglitazone and rosiglitazone) dominate the "Other antidiabetic drug" category. Including their combinations with metformin the number of items has increased from 1.2 million in 2004/5 to 2.3 million in 2009/10. The relatively high cost of these drugs is one of the drivers in the increase in the cost of diabetes prescribing.
  • Over this period there has been increased use of the human analogue insulins from 2.1 million items in 2004/5 to 4.5 million in 2009/10. Over the same period the cost rose from £109.8 million to £255.2 million, an increase of 132.4 per cent. Again, the relatively high cost of these drugs is one of the drivers in the increase in the cost of diabetes prescribing.

Administrative Sources

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

Resources

Last edited: 27 June 2018 9:34 am