NHS spends £442 million a year on painkillers

We are a nation in pain and some are more in pain than others. An investigation into the NHS painkiller prescription bill found that £442 million was spent on analgesics between 2010 and 2011.

What’s more, there is a huge north-south divide, with GPs in the North prescribing up to 69 per cent more painkillers than those in the south, according to an analysis by online data management consultancy SSentif, using data from the Office of National Statistics.

The £442m bill works out at an average spend of £8.80 per person but in some northern towns and cities rises to as much as £15 per person, while it drops to £3.26 in some southern areas.

The highest prescribing rates were found in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Rochdale and Blackpool, where painkiller prescription bills averaged £2.3m for primary care trusts (PCT).

This was more than double the spend in PCTs in areas in the south of the country such as Richmond, Twickenham, Camden and Westminster, despite these having a larger population to treat.

The research also looked at whether there was a correlation between spending on painkillers and other factors such as deprivation and age.

In the south, the research found a strong correlation between age (percentage of over-65s) and the amount spent on painkillers, but no correlation was found with deprivation.

Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham - three of the most deprived areas in the country and all in the south - spent less than £5.50 per head on painkillers.

In the north there was a slight correlation between deprivation and painkiller spending but almost no link with age.

The analysis also found that PCTs were prescribing a significant amount of over-the-counter painkillers and cold and flu treatments such as Lemsip, Beechams, Anadin and Panadol.

Judy Aldred, managing director of SSentif said: "The data shows spend on analgesics has increased steadily year-on-year. At the moment the responsibility for the prescribing budget lies with Primary Care Trusts but this is about to change. PCTs are phasing out and GPs are being given greater responsibility, including the management of their own prescribing budgets.

"Although the figures involved were comparatively low, it was concerning to see products such as Lemsip and even Alka Seltzer XS, offered on prescription and when GPs shoulder the responsibility for prescribing costs it will be interesting to see if this continues."

This article was published on Tue 8 November 2011