NHS Spends 725 Million Pounds on Diabetes Drugs

Fri, 26 Aug 2011
The NHS is spending £725 million on diabetes drugs, which equates to 8.4% of the NHS total medicine bill per annum,

The total amount spent in 2010/11 increased 41% on the £513 million spent in 2005/06, when diabetes drugs represented 6.6% of the overall budget.

One in every 25 prescriptions is now for diabetes, that is, 38.3 million items per annum.

The bulk of this increase is due to the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, associated with unhealthy lifestyles and obesity.

There are 2.5 million type 2 diabetics in the UK s with another 850,000 said to be undiagnosed as yet.

Most diabetics get a combination of drugs to attempt to keep their blood sugar levels in check, and two thirds of items dispensed are for the management of the body's production of insulin.

The next most prescribed drug group is injectable insulins, crucial when the pancreas is unable to produce enough of this hormone itself.

The Diabetes charity, Diabetes UK, commented: "The long-term costs of poor diabetes management, such as caring for someone who's had a heart attack or stroke, lost their sight or lower limb, far outweigh those of the drugs that help prevent such complications."

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