The scale of repeat prescribing--time for an update

Area of Science:

• Primary care
• Public health
• Health services research

Background:

• The National Health Service (NHS) faces significant annual costs from repeat prescriptions.
• Current data on the prevalence and patterns of repeat prescribing in primary care is outdated.
• Understanding repeat prescribing is crucial for effective service planning and policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the extent and demographic distribution of repeat prescribing in primary care.
• To analyze trends in repeat prescription item volume over time.
• To inform NHS service planning and policy related to medication management.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous data on prescription numbers and practice demographics were extracted from GP computer systems.
• Searches were conducted in November 2011 to determine repeat prescription items by age and sex.
• The proportion of repeat versus acute prescriptions was calculated.

Main Results:

• In the study year, 77% of 4,453,225 prescription items were repeats (mean 13 items/patient/annum).
• The mean number of repeat items per patient varied by age, from 0.45 (0-9 years) to 7.1 (80-89 years).
• 43% of the population received at least one repeat medicine, with over 75% of those aged 60+.

Conclusions:

• A substantial portion of the population relies on repeat prescriptions, with prevalence rising with age.
• While the ratio of repeat to acute items is stable, the volume of repeat prescription items has doubled in two decades.
• These trends have significant implications for general practice workload, patient convenience, healthcare costs, and medication safety.