September 2010

This section details the ten most common drugs dispensed in Scotland during year ending 31 March 2010, by cost and volume. A drug may be available in a number of formulations, such as tablets and syrups, produced by different manufacturers. For example, co-codamol includes aggregated data for all prescribed preparations of that drug, both branded and generic.

1. Cost

The top ten drugs by gross ingredient cost (£), dispensed in Scotland, are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - Top Ten Drugs by cost - Year ending 31 March 2010

Source: Prescribing Information System, ISD Scotland

The numbers following the drug name relate to therapeutic classification, as defined by the British National Formulary (BNF). The most likely reasons for prescribing is given in Table 1.

Table 1 - Reason for Prescribing - Cost

Chemical Name	Most commonly used
Atorvastatin	for controlling cholesterol
Salmeterol with Fluticasone Proprionate	for respiratory conditions
Tiotropium	for respiratory conditions
Clopidogrel	as a blood thinning agent
Budesonide with Formoterol Fumarate	for respiratory conditions
Blood Glucose Testing Strips	for home blood glucose monitoring
Wound Management Dressings	for dressing wounds
Co-codamol	as a pain killer
Olanzapine	for schizophrenia/mania
Quetiapine	for schizophrenia/mania

Source: Prescribing Information System, ISD Scotland

The drugs featured in Figure 1 account for £202.9 million or 20.5% of the community drugs bill for the year ending 31 March 2010.

2. Volume

Figure 2 shows the top ten drugs dispensed in Scotland by Volume (number of prescribed items) during year ending 31 March 2010.

Figure 2 - Top Ten Drugs by Volume - Year ending 31 March 2010



Source: Prescribing Information System, ISD Scotland

The numbers following the drug name relate to therapeutic classification, as defined by the British National Formulary (BNF). The most likely reason for prescribing is given in Table 2.

Table 2 - Reason for Prescribing - Volume

Chemical Name	Most commonly used
Aspirin	as blood thinning agent
Simvastatin	for controlling cholesterol
Co-codamol	as a pain killer
Omeprazole	for reducing stomach acid
Levothyroxine Sodium	sodium for thyroid hormone
Paracetamol	as a pain killer
Salbutamol	for respiratory conditions
Bendroflumethiazide	for lowering blood pressure
Atenolol	for reducing blood pressure
Amlodipine	for angina and lowering blood pressure

Source: Prescribing Information System, ISD Scotland

The drugs shown in Figure 2 account for 22.2 million prescribed items or 24.8% of the total dispensed volume in Scotland.