NHS Diabetes Drugs Costs Are Spiralling

Mon, 26 Jul 2010
Reseachers are claiming that NHS expenditure on diabetes drugs are too high, accounting for 7 per cent of the prescribing budget.

The Cardiff University researchers claim that a huge increase in those with type 2 diabetes in the past few years does not fully go to explain the spiralling costs.

With occurrences of this disease anticipated to increase, the NHS must get its budget under control.

The GPs stated they need to consider the best interests of patients.

2008 NHS expenditure was £700m on drugs for blood sugar control.

The researchers worked out that that between 2000 and 2008 the number of prescriptions for glucose -lowering drugs went up by 50 per cent.

Costs, after accounting for inflation, went up by 104%, rising from £290 in 2000 to £591 in 2008.

Researchers highlighted that there had been a marked increase in use of highly expensive therapies.

They added that more new drugs, like rosiglitazone and higher use of insulin have contributed to the increased costs.

Link to this page

Copy and Paste the following HTML into your page.