EXTENT AND COST OF NHS PRESCRIPTIONS  (ENGLAND ONLY), 1997, OF DRUG PRODUCTS CONSIDERED "LESS SUITABLE FOR PRESCRIBING"

Last year, some 30m prescriptions were written by General Practitioners in England for drug products identified in the British National Formulary (September 1998) as "less suitable for prescribing". The (net ingredient) cost to the NHS in England was over £100m.

Analgesics (pain killers) and other CNS drugs made up about two-thirds of the total. Drugs for the heart and circulation, and for respiratory disease, accounted for most of the rest. See Tables below. 

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
1. Gastro-intestinal
1.1.1.0 MUCAINE WYETH 174 299
1.2.0 BUSCOPAN tabs BOEHRINGER 215 686
1.3.6 PYROGASTRONE SANOFI 15 375
TOTAL 404,000 £1,485,000

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
2. Cardiovascular        
2.2.8 BURINEX K LEO 382 851
2.2.8 DIUMIDE K CONTINUS ASTA 43 201
2.2.8 LASIKAL BORG 28 80
2.2.8 Neo-Na-Clex-K GOLDSHIELD 64 270
2.5.2 CATAPRES tab/cap BOEHRINGER 26 216
2.6.4.1 STUGERON FORTE JANSSEN CILAG 20 120
2.6.4.1 Naftidrofuryl non proprietary 150 1748
2.6.4.1 PRAXILENE cap LIPHA 209 2457
2.6.4.1 HEXOPAL preps SANOFI 90 2520
2.6.4.1 RONICOL tabs TILLOMED 10 67
2.6.4.1 TRENTAL tabs BORG 92 1379
2.6.4.1 PAROVEN NOVARTIS 134 1580
2.6.4.1 OPILON tabs PARKE-DAVIS 22 581
2.6.4.1 HYDERGINE tabs NOVARTIS 7 83
TOTAL     1,277,000 £12,153,000

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
3. Respiratory        
3.1.1.2 ALUPENT preps BOEHRINGER 378 803
3.1.4 COMBIVENT BOEHRINGER 515 9688
3.1.4 DUOVENT BOEHRINGER 303 3551
3.2 VENTIDE A&H 121 1329
3.3 AEROCROM FISONS 22 562
3.10 GALPSEUD GALEN 414 634
3.10 SUDAFED WARNER-LAMBERT 726 1436
TOTAL     2,479,000 £18,003,000

 

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
4. CNS        
4.1.1.1 Chloral preps various 74 164
4.1.1.1 WELLDORM tab S&N HEALTH 172 621
4.1.1.1 Triclofos sodium various 10 85
4.1.2 Meprobamate non-proprietary 25 36
4.1.3 Barbiturates various 86 1203
4.2.1 Promazine various 103 215
4.3.1 LENTIZOL PARKE-DAVIS 152 560
4.3.1 TRIPTAFEN GOLDSHIELD 76 1142
4.3.1 TRIPTAFEN-M GOLDSHIELD 35 441
4.3.1 ANAFRANIL SR NOVARTIS 36 537
4.3.1 MOTIPRESS SANOFI 13 51
4.3.1 MOTIVAL SANOFI 92 214
4.3.2 PARSTELIN SKB 29 103
4.5.2 DUROMINE 3M 15 25
4.5.2 IONAMIN TORBET 8 20
4.6 BUCCASTEM R&C 157 522
4.6 GASTROBID CONTINUS NAPP 17 174
4.6 GASTROMAX PFIZER 2 31
4.6 MAXOLON SR MONMOUTH 11 101
4.7.1 CO-CODAPRIN preps various 27 61
4.7.1 ASPAV HOECHST MR 15 161
4.7.1 Co-codamol preps non-proprietary 2588 9975
4.7.1 KAPEKE GALEN 574 4078
4.7.1 SOLPADOL SANOFI 953 8270
4.7.1 TYLEX preps SCHWARTZ 1224 10237
4.7.1 Co-dydramol non-proprietary 3666 5275
4.7.1 REMEDEINE preps NAPP 224 2686
4.7.1 Co-proxamol non-proprietary 10159 14097
4.7.2 Pentazocine non-proprietary 2 85
4.7.4 MIGRALEVE preps PFIZER CONSUMER 328 1536
4.7.4.1 CAFERGOT preps ALLIANCE 20 61
4.7.4.1 MIGRIL GLAXO WELLCOME 70 1517
4.7.4.1 MIDRID SHIRE 28 172
4.7.4.2 DIXARIT BOEHRINGER 214 1712
4.7.4.2 DESERIL ALLIANCE 5 42
TOTAL     21,210,000 £65,124,000

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
5. Infections
5.1.4 KANNASYN SANOFI ? ?
5.1.8 KEFIZINE W PHARMACIA+UPJOHN 10 77
5.1.13 HIPREX 3M 9 76
5.3 IMUNOVIR ARDEN 1 25
TOTAL 20,000 £178,000

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
6. Endocrine system
6.3.2 CORTISYL HOECHST MR 18 80
6.4.2 CYCLOGEST SHIRE 55 1116
6.4.3 DECA-DURABOLIN ORGANON 3 27
TOTAL 76,000 £1,223,000

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
7. Urinary-tract disorders
7.4.1 MYTONINE GLENWOOD 5 30
7.4.3 ROWATINEX ROWA 2 7
TOTAL 7,000 £37,000

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
9. Nutrition, blood
9.1.1.1 FERROGRAD ABBOTT 211 160
9.1.1.1 SLOW-FE NOVARTIS 36 15
9.1.1.1 FERROGRAD FOLIC ABBOTT 72 66
9.1.1.1 SLOW-FE FOLIC NOVARTIS 42 20
9.1.2 CYANOCOBALAMIN various 26 157
9.2.1.1 SLOW-K ALLIANCE 242 104
9.5.1.2 CALCISORB 3M 4 92
9.6.3 Vitamin B Compound Non-proprietary 627 185
6.2.3 POTABA preps GLENWOOD 2 61
TOTAL 1,262,000 £860,000

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
10. Musculoskeletal and joint diseases
10.1.1 CODAFEN CONTINUS NAPP 99 905
10.2.2 CARISOMA PHARMAX 5 32
10.2.2 ROBAXIN SHIRE 95 898
TOTAL 199,000 £1,835,000

 

BNF CLASS DRUG NAME MADE BY SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
11. Eye preparations 12. Ear, nose, throat 13. Skin
11.4.1 BETNESOL-N MEDEVA 29 22
11.4.1 VISTA-METHASONE N MARTINDALE 12 19
11.4.1 MAXITROL ALCON 115 259
12.1.1 SOFRADEX preps FLORIZEL 291 1225
12.1.1 OTOSPORIN ear drops GLAXO WELLCOME 261 843
12.1.1 TRI-ADCORTYL OTIC BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB 28 48
12.1.3 CERUMOL LAB 260 337
12.1.3 WAXOL NORGINE 42 41
12.1.3 EXTEROL DERMAL 45 90
12.1.3 OTEX DDD 9 22
13.4 TRI-ADCORTYL BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB 131 4377
13.6.1 ACTINAC HOECHST MR 13 145
13.6.2 BRASIVOL STEIFEL 9 31
13.6.2 ACNISAL DERMAPHARM 4 19
13.10.3 HERPID YAMANOUCHI 14 94
13.14 HIRUDOID SANKYO 139 293
13.14 LASONIL BAYER 44 55
TOTAL 1,376,000 £7,920,000

 

BNF CLASS SCRIPTS (000) COST (£000)
1. Gastrointestinal      404   1485
2. Cardiovascular    1277 12153
3. Respiratory    2479 18003
4. Central nervous system 21,210 65124
5. Infections        20     178
6. Endocrine system        76   1223 
7. Urinary tract disorders          7       37
9. Nutrition, blood    1262     860
10. Musculoskeletal, joint disease      199   1835
11-13. Eye, ear, nose, throat, skin    1376   7920
TOTALS 28,310,000 £108,818,000

 

Sources

Joint Formulary Committee, British National Formulary, (London: British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Social of Great Britain, September 1998)

Department of Health Statistics Division, Prescription Cost Analysis England 1997, July 1998.