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Drug formularies--good or evil? A view using prescribing analyses and cost trends data
1Department of Pharmacy Policy and Practice, Keele University, UK.
Cardiology
|January 1, 1994
Summary
The National Health Service (NHS) drugs bill has tripled, necessitating cost containment measures like generic prescribing. Analyzing prescription data helps manage drug spending and identify areas for cost savings, particularly in cardiovascular medications.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Pharmaceutical Policy
- Clinical Pharmacy
Background:
- The United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) faces a rapidly escalating drugs bill, consuming a larger share of total healthcare expenditure.
- Rising drug costs limit funds available for other essential health services, highlighting the need for effective cost containment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of prescribing analyses and cost trends data in managing the NHS drugs bill.
- To identify specific areas of high drug expenditure, such as cardiovascular medications, and problematic prescribing patterns within the West Midlands.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from dispensed general practitioner prescriptions, centrally processed for reimbursement.
- Analyzed prescribing habits and cost trends to inform formulary development and identify cost-saving opportunities.
Main Results:
- Identified significant growth in cardiovascular drug prescribing within the West Midlands.
- Highlighted instances where the selection of expensive drug formulations led to substantial cost increases.
Conclusions:
- Prescribing data analysis is a valuable tool for general practitioners to assess prescribing habits and manage drug costs.
- Cost containment measures, including formulary adherence and generic prescribing, are crucial for optimizing NHS resource allocation.