- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions were dispensed in each of the last three years and, of these, how many were for chronic conditions, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The number of prescription items dispensed in Scotland in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board, is set out in the table below. The number of prescriptions written to treat chronic medical conditions is not known as patient-specific data are recorded only in each patient's notes.Number of Prescription Items
| Health Board | Financial Year |
| 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 |
| Argyll and Clyde Health Board | 5,984,847 | 6,319,760 | 6,647,131 |
| Ayr and Arran Health Board | 4,928,306 | 5,133,716 | 5,297,575 |
| Borders Health Board | 1,295,149 | 1,376,761 | 1,468,719 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Health Board | 2,147,900 | 2,298,065 | 2,411,440 |
| Fife Health Board | 4,307,334 | 4,538,128 | 4,773,999 |
| Forth Valley Health Board | 3,743,937 | 3,896,228 | 4,108,885 |
| Grampian Health Board | 5,417,820 | 5,686,625 | 5,928,454 |
| Greater Glasgow Health Board | 12,086,067 | 12,774,950 | 13,463,954 |
| Highland Health Board | 2,369,295 | 2,494,270 | 2,646,912 |
| Lanarkshire Health Board | 7,780,461 | 8,174,666 | 8,718,718 |
| Lothian Health Board | 7,623,955 | 7,914,430 | 8,227,506 |
| Orkney Health Board | 200,361 | 207,697 | 220,800 |
| Shetland Health Board | 265,394 | 284,378 | 293,855 |
| Tayside Health Board | 4,811,803 | 4,996,577 | 5,203,677 |
| Western Isles Health Board | 375,665 | 403,960 | 436,188 |
| Total | 63,338,294 | 66,500,211 | 69,847,813 |
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will revise the charging arrangements for NHS prescription pre-payment certificates.
Answer
We have no plans to do so.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are receiving statin treatment and, of these, how many have diabetes.
Answer
The table below gives the number of prescriptions for statins for the financial years ending 31 March 2002 and 2003. Data in the table refers to prescriptions dispensed in the community but do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics. It is not possible to determine how many people received these prescriptions, nor how many of them were for people with diabetes.
| | 2001-02 | 2002-03 |
| Number of Prescribed Items | 1,590,836 | 1,965,396 |
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 21 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1164 by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 July 2003, what percentage of diabetic patients received an annual cholesterol check-up in each of the last two years and what action is being taken to ensure that all such patients receive such a check-up.
Answer
The Scottish Diabetes Survey is beginning to provide this information but the data are not yet fully robust. In the 2002 Survey almost 60% of those patients included in diabetes registers were reported to have received a cholesterol test within the last 15 months. The importance of regular cholesterol monitoring is recognised in the clinical standards for diabetes published by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Reviewing services against these standards, along with the action being taken to improve clinical information and to establish a diabetes Managed Clinical Network in each board area are the essential steps to ensuring that all people with diabetes are monitored appropriately and that robust data are available in future.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 21 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many diabetic patients were given statin treatment following an annual cholesterol test in each of the last two years.
Answer
The requested data are not held centrally.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 21 July 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 August 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost would be of providing all diabetic patients with an annual cholesterol test and subsequent statin treatment and what the annual cost is of NHS treatment for diabetics suffering from cardiac disease.
Answer
The total cost of providing an annual cholesterol test and subsequent statin treatment all people with diabetes is not available.The Scottish Diabetes Framework estimated that treating people with diabetes accounts for some 5% of total NHSScotland costs. In financial year 2003-04, that would amount to some £335 million. It is not possible to identify separately an element relating to the treatment of those with diabetes who also have symptomatic cardiac disease.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 17 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Work and Pensions about the reasons for not paying attendance allowance to self-funding residents in care homes who would receive the allowance if resident in their own homes.
Answer
Prior to the introduction of free personal care on 1 July 2002, the Scottish Executive explored the issue of eligibility for attendance allowance thoroughly with the UK Government. As a result the Scottish Executive set free personal care payments for those in care homes at a level which allowed for the withdrawal of attendance allowance in those cases.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 16 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give any consideration to introducing ambulatory oxygen equipment in the NHS.
Answer
The Minister for Health and Community Care made a policy commitment in October 2002 that lightweight oxygen cylinders would be added to the Scottish Drug Tariff. We are currently working on the details of implementation, and intend to make ambulatory oxygen cylinders available on GP prescription by the end of the summer.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will recommend the use of statins for all diabetics at risk of heart disease.
Answer
The section of the Scottish Diabetes Framework dealing with prevention recognises diabetes as one of the major underlying causes of heart disease. The Scottish Executive appreciates the value of statins in the treatment of people with diabetes and expects clinical staff to prescribe statins in accordance with each individual's clinical needs. The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland standards on diabetes provide for the regular monitoring of cholesterol levels of those with diabetes. The diabetes and cardiac services Managed Clinical Networks being developed in each board area are an important mechanism for ensuring that the evidence base is reflected in local practice.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 16 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress there has been in respect of the new community pharmacy contract.
Answer
My officials are meeting regularly with the Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council to negotiate a new community pharmacy contract. Positive progress is being made and announcements on the shape and content of the new contract will be made in due course.
