Prescriptions by General Medical Practitioners, 2009-10

Statistics on GP prescribing include data for the financial year 2009-10. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 25 August 2009.

Wales in 2009-10:

• The number of prescription items dispensed increased from 64.9 million in 2008-09 to 67.9 million (up by 4.6 per cent). This was equivalent to 21.7 per head of population registered with a GP in Wales.
• The net ingredient cost of all prescriptions dispensed increased by 1.8 per cent since 2008-09, to £ 588.2 million. This was equivalent to £ 187.64 per person registered with a GP.
• The average net ingredient cost per prescription item was £ 8.67; 24 pence lower than in 2008-09.

Compared to the rest of the UK(a):

• Wales dispensed the highest number of prescription items per head of population – 22.6 compared to 18.9 in Northern Ireland, 17.1 in England and 16.6 in Scotland.
• Wales had the second highest net ingredient cost per head of population - £ 194.10 compared to  £ 232.39 in Northern Ireland, £ 187.54 in Scotland and £ 164.82 in England.
• Wales had the lowest net ingredient cost per prescription item - £ 8.61 compared to £ 9.64 in England, £ 11.28 in Scotland and £ 12.31 in Northern Ireland.

This output usually shows statistics over a ten year period. However detailed data is not available for 1999-00. Therefore time series and actual cost figures are shown from 1998-99 onwards.

(a) To enable comparisons to be made with the other UK countries the Prescription Cost Analysis data is used. The data refer to the financial year 2008-09 for Scotland and the calendar year 2009 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These are the latest and most comparable data available. The population data used is the mid-year estimates rather than the population registered with a GP unless otherwise stated.

Further information

StatsWales website

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 5080
E-mail: stats.healthinfo@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

August 2011 (provisional - to be confirmed on Due Out Soon page)