Asthma: Medical Equipment

Department of Health written question – answered at on 9 March 2017.

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Photo of Jeff Smith Jeff Smith Opposition Whip (Commons)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many asthma inhalers have been issued (a) in England and (b) in each region to (i) adults and (ii) children in each of the last 10 years.

Photo of David Mowat David Mowat The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health

The number of prescriptions prescribed in England and dispensed in the community for drugs that are indicated for the treatment of asthma are shown in the table below. Information is not available by age. These drugs may also be prescribed for conditions other than asthma.

Number of items of drugs prescribed in primary care in England used to treat asthma, for 2012/13 to 2015/16

Year

Prescription Items

2012/13

49,058,664

2013/14

50,219,446

2014/15

52,775,978

2015/16

53,136,030

Source: ePACT

Number of items of the drugs prescribed in primary care in England used to treat asthma by NHS England Region, for 2012/13 to 2015/16.

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

England Total

49,058,664

50,219,446

52,775,978

53,136,030

NHS England London

5,052,158

5,172,403

5,453,780

5,414,053

NHS England Midlands and East (Central Midlands)

4,025,278

4,069,547

4,282,075

4,323,279

NHS England Midlands and East (East)

3,913,709

4,064,777

4,314,978

4,362,695

NHS England Midlands and East (North Midlands)

3,533,640

3,586,769

3,759,138

3,774,000

NHS England Midlands and East (West Midlands)

3,893,688

3,987,486

4,180,911

4,198,648

NHS England North (Cheshire and Merseyside)

2,954,025

3,023,400

3,163,836

3,224,039

NHS England North (Cumbria and North East)

3,587,158

3,663,973

3,827,915

3,876,506

NHS England North (Greater Manchester)

3,115,675

3,205,578

3,350,403

3,380,619

NHS England North (Lancashire)

1,783,623

1,822,508

1,910,626

1,922,155

NHS England North (Yorkshire and Humber)

5,834,603

5,980,675

6,308,622

6,361,876

NHS England South (South Central)

2,730,411

2,781,479

2,931,745

2,931,543

NHS England South (South East)

3,484,795

3,552,115

3,742,112

3,760,809

NHS England South (South West)

2,830,257

2,870,563

2,985,174

3,004,444

NHS England South (Wessex)

2,218,990

2,282,967

2,383,197

2,389,491

Unidentified

100,654

155,206

181,466

211,873

Source: ePACT

The sum of the data for all NHS England Regions does not equal the total England figure, because the total England figure includes unidentified doctors (not possible for NHS Business Services Authority Prescription Services to allocate to an NHS England Region).

The British National Formulary (BNF) defines medication used to treat asthma related conditions as drugs in the following BNF sections and paragraphs:

3.1.1

3.1.2

3.1.3

3.2

3.3.1

3.3.2

3.4.2 (omalizumab only).

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