Prescription numbers in England see major rise between 2004 and 2014

A new report has shed light on the considerable increase in the number of prescriptions dispensed by England's healthcare system in the last decade.

According to the figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), a total of 1.06 billion prescription items were dispensed in 2014 by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors in England, up by 3.3 percent on 2013.

This represents a 55.2 percent increase since 2004, while the total net ingredient cost of prescriptions increased to 8.9 billion pounds, up by 2.6 percent on last year and a 9.6 per cent increase since 2004.

Diabetes drugs remain the largest category in terms of net ingredient cost, while the greatest increase in the volume of prescribing in 2014 was seen in the antidepressant drugs category.

It was also revealed that 89.9 percent of all prescription items were dispensed free of charge, with 60 percent dispensed free to patients claiming age exemption.