England - October to December 2024
Published 6 March 2025
Summary
Between October and December 2024:
There were 1.2 million drugs for dementia prescribed to an estimated 273,000 identified patients.
The cost of prescribed drugs for dementia was £9 million.
1. Things you should know
Dementia is a progressive clinical syndrome characterised by a range of cognitive and behavioural symptoms that can include memory loss, problems with reasoning and communication, a change in personality, and a reduced ability to carry out daily activities such as washing or dressing. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Other common types of dementia include vascular dementia (where dementia is due to cerebrovascular disease), dementia with Lewy bodies (where dementia is due to protein deposits in the brain), mixed dementia, and frontotemporal dementia (where dementia is due to progressive nerve loss in either the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain).
Drugs for dementia are described in the BNF 68 section 4.11 and are made up of the chemical substances:
- 0411000D0 - Donepezil hydrochloride
- 0411000E0 - Rivastigmine
- 0411000F0 - Galantamine
- 0411000G0 - Memantine hydrochloride
1.1. Drugs for dementia
Dementia is a disease that leads to progressive loss of brain function typified by memory loss, confusion, speech difficulties and problems in understanding. There are over 100 different types of dementia. The most common forms are:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Vascular dementia
- Dementia with Lewy bodies
- Pick’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Alcohol-related dementia
- HIV/AIDS related dementia
Dementia mainly affects older people but can also occur in people as young as thirty due to either alcohol abuse or HIV/AIDS. No cure for dementia currently exists. However, drugs may slow the rate of decline or in some patients make a small improvement in symptoms. Despite this, disease progression is inevitable.
You can find more information about the various types of dementia on the NHS website.
2. Results - Drugs for dementia
Number of prescribed items and identified patients by financial quarter - BNF 4.11: Drugs for dementia
Chart
Figure 1: Drugs for dementia items and identified patients increased in Q3 2024/25
Table
Table 1: Drugs for dementia items and identified patients increased in Q3 2024/25
| Financial quarter | BNF section name | Total prescribed items | Identified patients |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018/2019 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 1,000,735 | 225,870 |
| 2019/2020 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 1,028,003 | 227,652 |
| 2019/2020 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 1,055,352 | 231,384 |
| 2019/2020 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 1,082,148 | 234,737 |
| 2019/2020 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 1,048,263 | 234,888 |
| 2020/2021 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 1,037,749 | 231,052 |
| 2020/2021 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 1,003,614 | 223,741 |
| 2020/2021 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 1,024,994 | 225,865 |
| 2020/2021 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 982,014 | 223,757 |
| 2021/2022 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 996,880 | 223,836 |
| 2021/2022 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 1,022,086 | 228,030 |
| 2021/2022 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 1,031,912 | 231,152 |
| 2021/2022 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 1,016,162 | 232,283 |
| 2022/2023 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 1,038,052 | 234,161 |
| 2022/2023 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 1,055,461 | 237,651 |
| 2022/2023 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 1,075,635 | 241,777 |
| 2022/2023 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 1,068,191 | 243,260 |
| 2023/2024 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 1,080,309 | 246,593 |
| 2023/2024 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 1,113,556 | 252,153 |
| 2023/2024 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 1,148,688 | 258,377 |
| 2023/2024 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 1,139,885 | 260,867 |
| 2024/2025 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 1,166,695 | 263,548 |
| 2024/2025 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 1,204,397 | 268,203 |
| 2024/2025 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 1,229,016 | 272,900 |
1.2 million drugs for dementia items were prescribed in Q3 2024/25.
273,000 identified patients received a drugs for dementia item in Q3 2024/25.
Drugs for dementia items and identified patients continue their upward trend. Items increased by 2.0% and identified patients by 1.8%, compared to the previous quarter.
Cost of prescribing by financial quarter - BNF 4.11: Drugs for dementia
Chart
Figure 2: Drugs for dementia costs increased in Q3 2024/25
Table
Table 2: Drugs for dementia costs increased in Q3 2024/25
| Financial quarter | BNF section name | Cost (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| 2018/2019 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 6,762,712 |
| 2019/2020 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 6,664,265 |
| 2019/2020 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 7,486,009 |
| 2019/2020 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 8,748,408 |
| 2019/2020 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 8,229,558 |
| 2020/2021 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 8,697,209 |
| 2020/2021 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 8,495,838 |
| 2020/2021 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 8,347,260 |
| 2020/2021 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 7,254,608 |
| 2021/2022 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 7,154,493 |
| 2021/2022 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 6,704,329 |
| 2021/2022 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 6,356,728 |
| 2021/2022 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 6,138,370 |
| 2022/2023 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 6,255,712 |
| 2022/2023 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 6,239,087 |
| 2022/2023 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 6,508,811 |
| 2022/2023 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 6,554,313 |
| 2023/2024 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 6,684,586 |
| 2023/2024 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 6,750,895 |
| 2023/2024 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 7,516,020 |
| 2023/2024 Q4 | Drugs for dementia | 7,947,640 |
| 2024/2025 Q1 | Drugs for dementia | 7,791,416 |
| 2024/2025 Q2 | Drugs for dementia | 7,840,966 |
| 2024/2025 Q3 | Drugs for dementia | 9,023,459 |
In Q3 2024/25 the cost of prescribed drugs for dementia items was £9.0 million.
The cost of drugs for dementia increased by 15% in Q3 2024/25, a larger proportional increase than items or identified patients.
Number of prescribed items and identified patients by month - BNF 4.11: Drugs for dementia
Chart
Figure 3: Drugs for dementia items and identified patients increased in the past twelve months
Table
Table 3: Drugs for dementia items and identified patients increased in the past twelve months
| Month | BNF section name | Total prescribed items | Identified patients |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201901 | Drugs for dementia | 348,968 | 186,979 |
| 201902 | Drugs for dementia | 314,692 | 179,681 |
| 201903 | Drugs for dementia | 337,075 | 186,420 |
| 201904 | Drugs for dementia | 335,520 | 184,825 |
| 201905 | Drugs for dementia | 356,830 | 189,715 |
| 201906 | Drugs for dementia | 335,653 | 186,301 |
| 201907 | Drugs for dementia | 345,285 | 183,809 |
| 201908 | Drugs for dementia | 364,762 | 192,227 |
| 201909 | Drugs for dementia | 345,305 | 189,032 |
| 201910 | Drugs for dementia | 369,962 | 193,925 |
| 201911 | Drugs for dementia | 354,320 | 193,139 |
| 201912 | Drugs for dementia | 357,866 | 193,500 |
| 202001 | Drugs for dementia | 364,621 | 195,584 |
| 202002 | Drugs for dementia | 331,162 | 188,541 |
| 202003 | Drugs for dementia | 352,480 | 193,859 |
| 202004 | Drugs for dementia | 364,745 | 193,989 |
| 202005 | Drugs for dementia | 333,227 | 187,653 |
| 202006 | Drugs for dementia | 339,777 | 187,161 |
| 202007 | Drugs for dementia | 348,042 | 189,902 |
| 202008 | Drugs for dementia | 320,282 | 183,097 |
| 202009 | Drugs for dementia | 335,290 | 186,773 |
| 202010 | Drugs for dementia | 343,963 | 189,062 |
| 202011 | Drugs for dementia | 330,119 | 185,882 |
| 202012 | Drugs for dementia | 350,912 | 189,455 |
| 202101 | Drugs for dementia | 330,295 | 185,214 |
| 202102 | Drugs for dementia | 307,722 | 179,149 |
| 202103 | Drugs for dementia | 343,997 | 186,198 |
| 202104 | Drugs for dementia | 333,331 | 186,310 |
| 202105 | Drugs for dementia | 323,087 | 184,472 |
| 202106 | Drugs for dementia | 340,462 | 189,219 |
| 202107 | Drugs for dementia | 344,772 | 190,556 |
| 202108 | Drugs for dementia | 333,145 | 187,932 |
| 202109 | Drugs for dementia | 344,169 | 190,928 |
| 202110 | Drugs for dementia | 330,667 | 187,461 |
| 202111 | Drugs for dementia | 343,889 | 190,621 |
| 202112 | Drugs for dementia | 357,356 | 193,656 |
| 202201 | Drugs for dementia | 340,493 | 190,347 |
| 202202 | Drugs for dementia | 319,682 | 185,853 |
| 202203 | Drugs for dementia | 355,987 | 194,375 |
| 202204 | Drugs for dementia | 339,896 | 190,875 |
| 202205 | Drugs for dementia | 354,086 | 193,433 |
| 202206 | Drugs for dementia | 344,070 | 192,358 |
| 202207 | Drugs for dementia | 344,975 | 193,022 |
| 202208 | Drugs for dementia | 359,193 | 196,532 |
| 202209 | Drugs for dementia | 351,293 | 195,569 |
| 202210 | Drugs for dementia | 354,801 | 197,022 |
| 202211 | Drugs for dementia | 362,293 | 199,101 |
| 202212 | Drugs for dementia | 358,541 | 198,024 |
| 202301 | Drugs for dementia | 360,567 | 199,120 |
| 202302 | Drugs for dementia | 331,568 | 192,329 |
| 202303 | Drugs for dementia | 376,056 | 203,478 |
| 202304 | Drugs for dementia | 340,140 | 196,169 |
| 202305 | Drugs for dementia | 366,717 | 203,452 |
| 202306 | Drugs for dementia | 373,452 | 206,198 |
| 202307 | Drugs for dementia | 365,667 | 206,110 |
| 202308 | Drugs for dementia | 377,233 | 208,699 |
| 202309 | Drugs for dementia | 370,656 | 208,464 |
| 202310 | Drugs for dementia | 379,810 | 211,007 |
| 202311 | Drugs for dementia | 387,153 | 213,427 |
| 202312 | Drugs for dementia | 381,725 | 212,905 |
| 202401 | Drugs for dementia | 393,994 | 216,038 |
| 202402 | Drugs for dementia | 371,317 | 211,273 |
| 202403 | Drugs for dementia | 374,574 | 212,259 |
| 202404 | Drugs for dementia | 390,826 | 216,484 |
| 202405 | Drugs for dementia | 398,328 | 219,162 |
| 202406 | Drugs for dementia | 377,541 | 215,233 |
| 202407 | Drugs for dementia | 415,283 | 223,713 |
| 202408 | Drugs for dementia | 397,520 | 220,986 |
| 202409 | Drugs for dementia | 391,594 | 221,282 |
| 202410 | Drugs for dementia | 415,272 | 225,726 |
| 202411 | Drugs for dementia | 400,307 | 222,852 |
| 202412 | Drugs for dementia | 413,437 | 225,650 |
An average of 219,000 patients per month received prescribing for drugs for dementia over the 12 months to December.
Drugs for dementia items increased by 7.5% in the 12 months to December, compared to the previous 12 months.
3. Sections in this release
- Medicines used in Mental Health summary
- BNF Section 4.3 - Antidepressant drugs
- BNF Section 4.1 - Hypnotics and anxiolytics
- BNF Section 4.2 - Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders
- BNF Section 4.4 - Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and drugs used for ADHD
- Prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Medicines used in Mental Health background