Docs over prescribing’
TOO many patients are being prescribed medicines they do not need, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned.
Announcing a review into overprescribing in the NHS, he said the problem was making people ill – and costing billions.
Research shows almost half of 75-year-olds take at least five medicines.
And NHS spending on it in England has shot from £13billion to £18.2billion in the past eight years.
The review will look at ways of making sure treatments are up to date and do not overlap – with more checks from GPS and pharmacists. There will also be a focus on how to stop people getting ill.
Mr Hancock s aid: “Poorly managed prescribing can lead to serious issues for patients such as increased admissions to hospital or antibiotic resistance.”