Prescriptions used in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, England 1981–2013
| Prescriptions | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digoxin and other positive inotropic drugs (2.1) | 4243 | 3822 | 4031 | 4126 | 4141 | 4149 | 4119 | 4088 | 4006 | 3900 | 3770 |
| Diuretics (2.2) | 20 678 | 22 195 | 30 203 | 37 582 | 37 355 | 37 536 | 37 511 | 37 687 | 37 563 | 37 258 | 36 650 |
| Antiarrhythmic drugs (2.3) | 232 | 532 | 1292 | 1265 | 1247 | 1226 | 1188 | 1174 | 1156 | 1129 | 1107 |
| Beta-adrenoreceptor blocking drugs (2.4) | 9827 | 14 282 | 20 439 | 27 378 | 26 810 | 27 634 | 28 529 | 29 686 | 30 924 | 32 355 | 33 597 |
| Antihypertensive and heart failure drugs (2.5) | 4912 | 6431 | 25 047 | 47 742 | 53 634 | 57 823 | 60 838 | 63 571 | 65 449 | 67 184 | 68 652 |
| Nitrates, calcium blockers and other antianginal drugs (2.6) | 5156 | 16 718 | 26 814 | 34 707 | 37 214 | 39 100 | 40 575 | 42 043 | 43 086 | 44 675 | 45 868 |
| Anticoagulants and protamine (2.8) | 629 | 1356 | 4609 | 6790 | 7309 | 7991 | 8546 | 9157 | 9773 | 10 723 | 11 906 |
| Antiplatelet drugs (2.9) | 281 | 3619 | 18 891 | 32 779 | 35 382 | 38 124 | 39 107 | 38 182 | 38 351 | 38 603 | 38 661 |
| Antifibrinolytic drugs and haemostatics (2.11) | 282 | 327 | 352 | 358 | 363 | 373 | 392 | 396 | 393 | ||
| Lipid-lowering drugs (2.12) | 295 | 1066 | 13 523 | 42 098 | 47 412 | 52 190 | 56 452 | 59 550 | 61 649 | 64 399 | 66 795 |
| All prescriptions for disease of the circulatory system | 46 252 | 70 022 | 145 131 | 234 793 | 250 855 | 266 130 | 277 244 | 285 530 | 292 370 | 300 647 | 307 424 |
The data up to 1990 are not consistent with data from 1991 onwards. Figures up to 1990 are based on fees and on a sample of 1 in 200 prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. Figures from 1991 are based on items and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered. British National Formulary codes in parentheses.
Adapted from Office for National Statistics (2014). Prescription cost analysis 2013. Health and Social Care Information Centre, and previous editions.