Drugs: Older People
(asked on 16th January 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the cost to the NHS of prescribing tablets to patients aged over 70 in each of the past ten years; and what assessment they have made of any unintended consequences of those patients combining multiple tablets.
Prescription data is collected by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for the operational purpose of reimbursing and remunerating dispensing contractors for the costs of supplying drugs and devices, and providing essential and advanced services, to National Health Service patients.
The following table shows the total net ingredient cost (NIC) for prescription items with an oral route of administration, dispensed to patients aged 71 years old and over, for the financial years 2015/16 to 2023/24, and from April to November 2024/25:
Financial year | Tablet | Capsule | Liquid, solution, suspension, drops | Other formulations |
2015/16 | £1,128,000,000 | £336,000,000 | £155,000,000 | £35,000,000 |
2016/17 | £1,138,000,000 | £325,000,000 | £156,000,000 | £35,000,000 |
2017/18 | £1,211,000,000 | £273,000,000 | £146,000,000 | £34,000,000 |
2018/19 | £1,252,000,000 | £239,000,000 | £144,000,000 | £35,000,000 |
2019/20 | £1,423,000,000 | £254,000,000 | £148,000,000 | £38,000,000 |
2020/21 | £1,570,000,000 | £263,000,000 | £158,000,000 | £40,000,000 |
2021/22 | £1,581,000,000 | £250,000,000 | £164,000,000 | £45,000,000 |
2022/23 | £1,723,000,000 | £267,000,000 | £189,000,000 | £46,000,000 |
2023/24 | £1,742,000,000 | £279,000,000 | £218,000,000 | £49,000,000 |
2024/25 | £1,091,000,000 | £173,000,000 | £190,000,000 | £13,000,000 |
This answer is based on information extracted from the NHSBSA Data Warehouse, using all drug products where there was an indication of an oral route on the NHSBSA’s drug database.
The NHSBSA does not hold a single cost to the NHS. Total NIC is the amount that would be paid using the basic price of the prescribed medicine and the quantity prescribed, before any discounts, dispensing costs, or fees. It also does not include other costs to the NHS, such as those associated with purchasing or storing these medicines. The basic price is given either in the Drug Tariff or is determined from prices published by manufacturers, wholesalers, or suppliers. For branded medicines, the cost to the NHS will be partially offset by the statutory scheme and voluntary scheme.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously monitors the safety of medicines on the United Kingdom’s market and ensures the product information, which includes the patient information leaflet supplied with each pack of medicine, reflects what is known about the medicine, and provides information to support the safe use of the medicine. This includes information about the risks to particular groups of patients such as the elderly, details of possible side effects, and if action is needed to seek medical advice and information about the risk of interactions with other medicines, and the action that is needed to minimise the risks.