Researchers from Cardiff University, UK have found that the diabetes medicines prescribed account for 7 percent of the nation’s prescribing budget. Diabetes drugs are making the NHS spend too much. There has been a great increase in the number of diabetes type-2 cases in recent years.

According to the researches, this does not entirely explain the increase in costs. With expectations of further rise in the rates of diabetes type-2, the NHS surely needs to control the budget. The general practitioners, however, say that they have to act according to the needs of patients.

Two years back in 2008, NHS had spent 700 million pounds on prescribed drugs for diabetes control. The number of prescriptions for diabetes drugs from 2000 to 2008 had increased by 50 percent. But surprisingly, the even considering the price of inflation, the costs rose by 104 percent.

The figures also show a rise from 290 million pounds to 591 million pounds during the study period. The use of costlier therapies was indicated to mark the increases. The rising use of insulin and new drugs like rosiglitazone has also caused an increase in the costs. The expensive therapies have been well-marketed by the various drug companies in recent years.

The findings also revealed an astonishing increase in metformin use. It is a cheap generic drug usually suggested as first line treatment. It is assumed that approximately 2.6 million individuals in UK alone are diagnosed with diabetes and another one million are suffering but haven’t been diagnosed yet.

The general practitioners express their opinions that their focus is only on bringing down the sugar levels in blood by any means available so as to avoid any complications for their patients. The cheaper drugs don’t always work and that’s the reason why costlier ones are prescribed thereby increasing the budget. The doctors further say that looking at the long run; they are in fact saving NHS from spending more money.

Source:

BBC News

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