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ABPI - The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
 
Facts & Statistics from the pharmaceutical industry

Medicines and the NHS

With the overall cost of the NHS steadily rising, the medicines bill is less than 10 per cent of the total, despite a constant growth every year in the number of prescriptions issued. More than 912 million prescriptions were dispensed in 2007, at an average cost of £10.37 each. This represents remarkable value for money, in that medicines often reduce or eliminate the need for more costly inpatient treatment in hospital. The industry provides the nation's medicines at a cost of only 47p per person per day. A breakdown of the statistics by therapeutic group shows that a large part of the industry’s investment in medicines goes into cancer, heart disease, stroke and disorders of the central nervous system.

 
16. NHS expenditure per person in the UK
Total NHS cost
£million		 Total NHS cost
per person £		 All NHS medicines
cost £million		 NHS medicines
cost per person £		 Medicines as a %
of total NHS cost
1980 9,456 168 732 13.00 7.7
1985 16,349 290 1,550 27.46 9.5
1990 26,169 458 2,370 41.50 9.1
1995 40,432 698 4,316 74.54 10.7
1996 42,326 729 4,657 80.21 11.0
1997 43,921 755 4,992 85.76 11.4
1998 46,240 792 5,447 93.35 11.8
1999 48,770 833 5,988 102.32 12.3
2000 53,429 910 6,641 113.07 12.4
2001 58,279 989 7,138 121.10 12.2
2002 64,430 1,089 7,879 133.17 12.2
2003 74,741 1,259 8,813 148.40 11.8
2004 82,202 1,379 9,722 163.05 11.8
2005 89,567 1,494 10,334 172.40 11.5
2006 98,959 1,640 10,373 171.95 10.5
2007 104,678 1,725 10,829 178.45 10.3
Notes
Figures based on fiscal year April/March - '2007' means year ending March 2007
Source
OHE compendium
 
17. Community prescribing in the UK
Prescriptions
millions		 Prescriptions
per head		 Net
Ingredient
Cost £ m		 £ per head Net Ingredient
Cost £ per
prescription		 Total cost
£ m		 Total cost
£ per head
1985 393.1 6.9 1,536 27.06 3.91 1,875 33.15
1990 446.6 7.8 2,563 44.78 5.74 2,984 52.13
1991 467.7 8.1 2,877 50.09 6.15 3,343 58.20
1992 488.2 8.5 3,257 56.58 6.67 3,729 64.78
1993 511.9 8.9 3,586 62.18 7.01 4,091 70.94
1994 523.7 9.1 3,857 66.73 7.36 4,365 75.52
1995 544.8 9.4 4,179 72.14 7.67 4,711 81.33
1996 559.7 9.6 4,543 78.27 8.12 5,096 87.80
1997 577.7 9.9 4,942 84.97 8.55 5,448 93.65
1998 594.1 10.2 5,326 91.34 8.96 5,788 97.26
1999 613.1 10.6 5,991 102.45 9.77 6,328 108.21
2000 637.5 10.9 6,335 108.03 9.94 6,723 114.64
2001 676.7 11.5 6,920 117.61 10.23 7,299 124.06
2002 712.2 12.1 7,723 130.88 10.84 8,059 136.57
2003 748.8 12.6 8,487 142.81 11.33 8,787 147.86
2004 789.3 13.2 9,110 152.25 11.54 9,442 157.81
2005 825.8 13.7 8,911 147.98 10.79 9,601 159.43
2006 864.3 14.3 9,251 152.68 10.70 10,109 166.85
2007 912.1 15.0 9,463 155.20 10.37 10,441 171.25
Notes
Total cost is the cost of medicines plus dispensing in the community
Source
OHE Compendium
2003-7 figures sources: UK Reimbursement authorities, Governments Actuary's Office
 
18. Daily Expenditure 2006/07
Source
Family Spending Family Expenditure Survey
ONS Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses
HM Treasury Office for Health Economics
 
19. Cost of prescriptions dispensed in various disease areas, UK, £ millions
1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Gastro-intestinal system 606 747 755 802 817 827 843 718
Cardiovascular system 748 1,585 1,797 2,130 1,391 2,624 2,311 2,315
Respiratory system 518 746 798 847 892 962 998 1,046
Central nervous system 510 1,135 1,309 1,503 1,658 1,809 1,870 1,999
Infections 272 284 274 282 291 297 287 281
Endocrine system 334 628 702 790 851 933 994 1,076
Obstetrics and gynaecology1 96 169 197 226 253 284 305 309
Malignant disease2 117 232 259 290 322 350 327 360
Nutrition and blood 134 234 261 287 318 355 389 444
Musculo-skeletal and joint disease 221 289 294 327 363 386 274 268
Eye preparations 54 95 107 116 122 132 141 152
Ear, nose and oropharynx 46 61 63 66 70 72 71 76
Skin 180 220 235 247 253 262 264 278
Immunological products 96 127 126 126 136 144 167 147
Anaesthesia 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 5
Others, including dressings and appliances 242 361 390 420 460 507 561 621
Notes
All figures are based on the British National Formulary (BNF).
1 Including urinary tract disorders.
2 Including immunosuppression. Much of the prescribing for malignant disease is carried out in hospitals.
Source
OHE Compendium
 
20. Number of prescriptions dispensed in various disease areas, UK, 1995-2005 per million prescriptions
1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Gastro-intestinal system 44 55 57 60 62 64 67 70
Cardiovascular system 98 159 178 198 220 243 264 284
Respiratory system 54 60 61 62 62 63 64 64
Central nervous system 99 132 138 144 149 154 157 163
Infections 62 51 52 51 52 51 52 52
Endocrine system 32 48 53 57 61 65 70 75
Obstetrics and gynaecology1 14 17 17 18 19 20 20 21
Malignant disease2 3 4 4 4 5 5 4 4
Nutrition and blood 16 19 20 22 24 26 29 32
Musculo-skeletal and joint disease 29 33 34 35 36 37 35 35
Eye preparations 14 16 17 17 18 19 19 20
Ear, nose and oropharynx 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
Skin 38 42 43 43 43 43 43 43
Immunological products 13 45 14 13 14 15 17 15
Anaesthesia 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Others, including dressings and appliances 17 20 21 22 23 24 26 27
Notes
All figures are based on the British National Formulary (BNF).
1 Including urinary tract disorders.
2 Including immunosuppression. Much of the prescribing for malignant disease is carried out in hospitals.
Source
OHE Compendium

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