In 2007 the National Audit Office reported that primary care trusts (PCTs) could save more than £200 million a year without compromising patient care if GPs prescribed cheaper, generic medicines. Keele University has now confirmed the NAO’s finding by calculating that almost £400 million has been saved by the Department of Health, the NHS and PCTs in England, through more cost effective prescribing as recommended in the NAO report.
The Department of Medicines Management at Keele University has confirmed that, in 2008, PCTs in England achieved a total saving of £394 million through a more consistent use of lower cost, generic medicines for some common conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and gastric problems. The largest savings were made on statins, with £277 million saved in 2008. The Strategic Health Authority which made the largest saving over the year was the North West, which made savings of over £70 million. Norfolk achieved the largest saving among PCTs, totalling £7.8 million.
“These findings demonstrate the extent to which GPs choosing to prescribe cheaper but just as clinically effective generic medicines can lead to real savings for the NHS. This is all the more important as the NHS’s spending on medicines continues to rise year on year, as the UK’s population ages and more and better treatments become available. The almost £400 million saved in just one year is money available to improve the quality of patient care.”
Michael Whitehouse, assistant auditor general at the National Audit Office
