Department of Health written question – answered at on 9 March 2017.
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.
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).
Yes1 person thinks so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.