Diabetes drugs 'driving rise in NHS drugs bill'

[Northerner]

The rising rates of diabetes mean the condition now accounts for nearly a 10th of the annual NHS drugs bill in England, official figures show. Some ?725m was spent on diabetes drug in 2010-11 - 8.4% of the total bill.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14650107

Come on you lot, stop being diabetic and using all those expensive drugs! 😉

 

[StephenM]

Part of the costs are related to unnecessary prescribing of statins. I suspect the new guidelines for BP medication (24 hour monitor in case of "white coat" hypertension) may also help.