The Health and Social Care Information Centre has published data showing that 1.1 billion prescription items were dispensed in England in 2014, an increase of three per cent on 2013. The Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) also rose by three per cent, reaching £8.9 billion. However, the HSCIC’s Prescription Cost Analysis found that the average NIC per item fell by five pence to £8.32.

The most commonly prescribed chemical was simvatastin, a cholesterol-lowering medication – 37.8 million items were dispensed at a cost to the NHS of £50.6 million. The diabetes drug metformin had the highest NIC, costing the NHS £96.2 million in prescription costs.