Question reference: S5W-32602
- Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 15 October 2020
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Current status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 3 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it costs to treat a person with lithium.
Answer
The annual cost to treat a person with lithium is estimated to be £32 person in the latest year of full available data (2018-19). However, due to the complex nature of mental health disorders and treatment thereof, it is not possible to fully and accurately answer the question as posed. It is not possible to determine the average period for which a patient received lithium. Patients with long term conditions can be treated for longer than the period Public Health Scotland can provide patient level data for. Costs of treatment can vary depending on different formulations of medicines used, and the formulations patients are prescribed and the costs of these can change over time.