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NHS Tayside and Fife’s most common – and most expensive – prescriptions

New figures show the most common prescriptions across Tayside and Fife - and how much they cost. Image: Shutterstock.
New figures show the most common prescriptions across Tayside and Fife - and how much they cost. Image: Shutterstock.

GPs across Tayside and Fife prescribed almost £15 million of medication to patients in September – but what was the most common prescription where you live?

We’ve looked at the latest data showing what was prescribed in both Tayside and Fife.

And we reveal each area’s top 40 prescribed medications and their costs in the tables below.

The latest data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) shows the prescription figures for September 2022.

NHS Tayside and Fife: The key stats

Total prescriptions: 1,252,375 (down 105,889 on August figures).

Total cost: £14,619,444 (down £1,108,156.81 on August).

Most common prescriptions: Omeprazole – 38,154 prescriptions (3,424 fewer than August). Used to lower stomach acid levels to treat heartburn and indigestion.

Most expensive total cost: Maviret 100mg/40mg (25 items costing £316,179.06). Prescribed to treat chronic hepatitis C in adults and children aged three and older.

In Fife, Maviret was prescribed 16 times at a cost of £199,236.12. In Tayside, it was prescribed nine times at a cost of £116,942.94.

What were the most common prescriptions in my area?

NHS Tayside

Omeprazole topped the charts in both the Tayside and Fife health boards, as it did in August.

Painkillers like paracetamol, co-codamol and aspirin were also among the most-prescribed.

From the top 40 most prescribed medications, the most common health conditions being treated in Tayside were hypertension (high blood pressure), depression, underactive thyroid and high cholesterol.

Medications for diabetes and an enlarged prostate were also included in Tayside’s 40 most prescribed items.

Overall, GPs prescribed £8 million in medications this September.

The most expensive medication in Tayside was Lixiana 60mg. It is prescribed to prevent blood clots and reduces the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

It cost £210,073.50 to prescribe it 2,509 times to patients in September this year.

NHS Fife

It’s a similar story in Fife, with omeprazole also being the number one most prescribed medication.

The most common health conditions being treated with the top 40 prescriptions in Fife were also hypertension, depression, high cholesterol, underactive thyroid and heartburn.

Medications for eczema, as well as vitamins and supplements such as D3 and folic acid were also in Fife’s top 40.

GPs in Fife prescribed £6.6 million of medications in September.

The most expensive prescription of the month in Fife was Maviret 100mg/40mg.

Amoxicillin

Overall, September’s figures for Tayside and Fife were fairly similar to August’s.

However, the biggest difference was amoxicillin – an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections such as chest infections, strep throat and urine infections – climbed places in both health boards.

In August, amoxicillin was the 34th most common prescription in Tayside and the 38th in Fife.

But in September, it was the 24th most common prescription in Tayside and the 31st most common in Fife, climbing 10 and seven places respectively.

There is speculation over whether this could be linked to the increase in Strep A cases seen in Scotland over the past few months.

However, PHS say the rise in cases began in October of this year. It is therefore unlikely to be linked.

When asked about the rise in amoxicillin prescriptions in September, PHS said: “NHS Tayside and NHS Fife are best placed to answer enquiries on local service provision.”

And NHS Tayside and Fife advised we contact PHS for answers.

  • Are you surprised by the list in your area? What did you think of the monthly costs of prescriptions for the health boards? Let us know in the comments below. 

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