United Kingdom: Pharmaceuticals - Nat'l Systems

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Expenditure On Retail Pharmaceuticals Per Capita, 2017 (USD$ PPP)
Prescribed Medicines: $290
Over-The-Counter Medicines: $128
Medical Non-Durable: $51
Total: $469

Source: OECD (2019), Health at a Glance 2019: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/4dd50c09-en.
https://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/health-at-a-glance-19991312.htm

Expenditure On Retail Pharmaceuticals By Type Of Financing, 2017 (%)
Government/Compulsory Plans: 66%
Voluntary Health Insurance Plans: 0%
Out-Of-Pocket: 34%
Other: 0%

Source: OECD (2019), Health at a Glance 2019: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/4dd50c09-en.
https://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/health-at-a-glance-19991312.htm

“Patients are not charged for pharmaceuticals used in inpatient care. In England there is a fixed charge for drugs dispensed in the community regardless of the price of the drug being dispensed, although there are many categories of patients who are exempt from such charges (such as children up to 16 years, those aged over 65 years and those with certain long-term conditions such as diabetes). Since April 2014 the prescription charge in England has been £8.20 per item dispensed, although it is possible to buy “season tickets” which effectively cap the prescription charge at a certain level for a year. Prescription charges are not levied on certain categories of drugs, such as those used in family planning, the treatment of STDs and cancer drugs. Prescription charges have been abolished in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales at different times since devolution (see Section 3.4).”

Source: Cylus J, Richardson E, Findley L, Longley M, O’Neill C, Steel D. United Kingdom: Health system review. Health Systems in Transition, 2015; 17(5): 1–125.
http://www.euro.who.int/en/about-us/partners/observatory/publications/health-system-reviews-hits
http://www.euro.who.int/en/about-us/partners/observatory/publications/health-system-reviews-hits/full-list-of-country-hits/united-kingdom-hit-2015

“The United Kingdom is a major producer of pharmaceuticals, fourth in the world in 2007 by value of exports. Manufacturers distribute drugs to wholesalers, who then sell these on to pharmacies and dispensing doctors. Wholesalers supply 85% of the medicines dispensed in pharmacies; the rest are supplied by manufacturers or parallel importers of drugs. Manufacturers, wholesalers and retail pharmacies are all commercial enterprises and retail pharmacy has managed market entry. Pharmaceutical spending comprises approximately 1% of total GDP in the United Kingdom (OECD, 2014).

“Pharmacists may also be commissioned for a wider range of services, including advising patients on common conditions, smoking cessation, sexual health services and management of long-term conditions.”

“In order to reduce the burden on primary care doctors and improve access to pharmaceuticals, other health care workers are allowed to prescribe certain medicines under certain circumstances. Supplementary prescribers prescribe medicines in partnership with a doctor or dentist, as long as doing so works with the patient’s clinical management plan (as defined by the doctor or dentist). Supplementary prescribers must be qualified and registered, and can include nurses, midwives, specialist community public health nurses, pharmacists, chiropodists and podiatrists, physiotherapists, radiographers and optometrists, where they have had the required training.”

“Prescribing by international non-proprietary name (INN) is an important driver of efficiency. The generics market share has been consistently growing since 2000 with the United Kingdom having the highest proportion by volume in the EU at 85.2 % for the publicly funded pharmaceutical market (Figure 20). By value, 37.6 % of the publicly funded pharmaceutical market is made up of generics, which is the second highest in the EU behind Austria. This is due, at least in part, to the implementation of prescribing guidelines for GPs (European Commission, 2019c). All four nations collate evidence of cost–effectiveness and the affordability of new treatments to inform policymaking and make the best use of available resources (Box 7).”

Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems in the US and several other nations.

Page last updated Dec. 22, 2020 by Doug McVay, Editor.