New report reveals the 10 most commonly prescribed drugs in Northern Ireland

The first ever General Pharmaceutical Service Statistics for Northern Ireland report released today, also shows that the 10 most commonly dispensed medications accounted for nearly one quarter of total dispensing in 2019/20.

Prescriptions are currently free in Northern Ireland, as they are in Scotland and Wales, whereas charges are levied in England.

The new report shows a continuation of a long-term trend towards higher dispensing levels from local pharmacies.

The total number of items dispensed has risen by 7.5% since 2014/15, when the figure stood at 40.1m items.

The most commonly dispensed medication was the statin Atorvastatin with 1.3 million items dispensed.

It was closely followed by Omeprazole, which is typically used to treat excess stomach acid.

The 10 most commonly dispensed drugs were:

1 Atorvastatin 1,328,637, treatment of high blood cholesterol

2 Omeprazole 1,306,037, treatment of excess stomach acid

3 Co-codamol 1,249,663, pain relief

4 Levothyroxine 1,063,786, treatment for thyroid hormone deficiency

5 Salbutamol 918,888 treatment for respiratory conditions

6 Aspirin 842,819, pain relief / heart attack prevention

7 Bisoprolol 807,889, treatment for hypertension

8 Sertraline 766,685, treatment for depression and anxiety

9 Lansoprazole 732,911, treatment of excess stomach acid

10 Amlodipine 682,226, treatment for hypertension / angina

The total ingredient cost for prescription items dispensed in Northern Ireland in 2019/20 was £444.1 m. This was an increase of 5.4% on the previous year.

Apixaban, a medication used for the treatment and prevention of blood clots, had the highest ingredient cost at £14.9m. It was the only medication with a total ingredient cost above £10m in 2019/20.

The report shows that Northern Ireland has the highest ingredient cost per person in the UK at almost £230 per year compared to the lowest, England, which is 42% lower at £161.

It also revealed that at the end of 2019/20, Northern Ireland had 531 community pharmacies, a reduction of one from the previous year.

It is estimated that over 99% of the population live within five miles of a community pharmacy, with at least 72% of the population living within one mile.

The report said that females accounted for almost 57% of items dispensed whilst the 45-64 age group accounted for over 30% of items.

Around one in four items dispensed in 2019/20 related to the central nervous system.

The number of items dispensed was around 50% higher in the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland compared to the least deprived. Conversely, the average ingredient cost per item was almost 20% higher in the least deprived areas.