England July to September 2023

Published 7 December 2023

Summary

Between July and September 2023:

1.1 million drugs for dementia items were prescribed to an estimated 250,000 identified patients.

The cost of prescribed drugs for dementia items was £6.8 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:

  • BNF chemical substance 0411000D0 - Donepezil hydrochloride
  • BNF chemical substance 0411000E0 - Rivastigmine
  • BNF chemical substance 0411000F0 - Galantamine
  • BNF chemical substance 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

Figure 1: Number of prescribed items and identified patients by financial quarter - BNF 4.11: Drugs for dementia

1.1 million drugs for dementia items prescribed in Q2 2023/24.

250,000 identified patients received a drugs for dementia item in Q2 2023/24.

Drugs for dementia items and patients have increased above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, after a decline over the initial COVID-19 period.

Figure 2: Cost of prescribing by financial quarter - BNF 4.11: Drugs for dementia

The cost of prescribed drugs for dementia items in Q2 2023/24 was £6.8 million.

The cost of drugs for dementia items has continued the recent upwards trend.

Figure 3: Number of prescribed items and identified patients by month - BNF 4.11: Drugs for dementia

An average of 200,000 patients per month received prescribing for drugs for dementia items over the last 12 months.

Drugs for dementia items increased by 4.7% over the last 12 months, compared to the previous 12 month period.

3. Sections in this release