Question reference: S4W-26389
- Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 13 July 2015
-
Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 August 2015
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated savings for patients will be in 2015-16 arising from free prescriptions that would not be age-exempt from charging in England for medications associated with the long-term conditions, (a) asthma, (b) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (c) cardiovascular disease.
Answer
The information requested is not routinely captured by NHS Scotland’s prescribing information system. The following table therefore sets out very broad estimates based on limited information available from prescription forms dispensed in the community, and an assumed adult working population aged 20 to 59 years old as at 30 September 2014.
|
Drug group |
Total dispensed items in 2014-15 |
Estimated number of chargeable items (excl. prescription pre-payment certificates) |
Estimated savings to patients in 2015-16 |
|
Asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
2,199,196 |
312,100 |
£2.6 million |
|
Cardiovascular disease |
5,359,032 |
558,900 |
£4.6 million |
|
Mental health (antipsychotic and antidepressant) |
4,128,986 |
585,000 |
£4.8 million |
|
Emollients/topical corticosteroids/ preparations for eczema and psoriasis |
1,495,714 |
303,600 |
£2.5 million |
Source: Derived from NHS National Services Scotland, Prescribing Information System
Notes:
1. The table sets out broad estimated savings for the year 2015-16.
2. The estimated data is based on age groups within an assumed adult working population aged 20 to 59 years old (as at 30 September 2014) derived from dispensed prescriptions in community with a recorded Community Health Index number, and using 2010-11 as the base year for estimating forward. 2010-11 was the last full financial year before prescription charges were abolished in Scotland.
3. Items dispensed relate to medicines normally associated with the treatment of certain long-term conditions (as categorised by the British National Formulary hierarchy of drugs), and dispensed to patients who were assumed to have normally attracted a prescription charge for each prescription item dispensed.
4. The estimated savings have been derived from the number of prescription items dispensed in the community in 2014-15 and if prescription charges were set at the rate currently in place in England from 1 April 2015 (£8.20 per item).
5. It should be noted that prescription forms do not record the clinical condition for which the drug is prescribed. Some prescription items may, therefore, have been dispensed for the treatment of a condition other than the assumed long-term condition.