NHS report shows diabetes drug prescriptions have increased by eight million since 2015

In the last year, nearly 60 million drugs were used to treat people with diabetes in England – rising by eight million since 2015 – new NHS data identifies. 

The latest research report from the NHS Business Service Authority (NHSBSA), revealed that 57.9 million drugs were prescribed between 2020 and 2021, costing the Government £1.19 billion.

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.

These findings highlight that diabetes drugs made up 12.5% of the total spend on all prescription items prescribed in England.

The study entitled ‘Prescribing for diabetes England 2015/2016 to 2020/2021’, also found that there was over three and a half million people in hospital being prescribed drugs for diabetes in England in 2020/21.

This was a one and a half percent increase from three million individuals in hospital in 2019/20, and a 12.7% increase from 2.70 million in 2015/16.

Most people who were prescribed drugs for diabetes in 2020/21 lived in deprived areas, the study finds.

Last year, the most common age group prescribed these drugs were aged between 70 and 74, increasing from 2015/16 where the most common age group was aged 65 to 69.

Additionally, 43.1 million antidiabetic drug items were prescribed in England last year, costing £686 million.

In 2015/16, antidiabetic drugs cost £423 million, meaning it has increased by 62%.

To access the full report, click here.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash