THE amount spent on prescriptions per person by the NHS in Worcestershire is among the highest in the country.

The NHS Integrated Care Boards are responsible for planning health services for their local population including the budgeting and allocation of NHS resources.

A new study from NHSDiscountOffers has revealed that the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB spent the second most on prescriptions per person when compared to other ICBs across England in 2022/23.

On average, £280 is spent per person on prescriptions in the region; only Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB was higher (£332).

The ICB spent £227,956,506 of its budget on prescriptions in the two countries, despite having the lowest number of prescribed items in the top 10 (15,953,376).

Steve Bater, spokesman at NHSDiscountOffers.co.uk, said: “The data highlights the substantial investment in prescription costs across various NHS regions.

"Nine out of 10 ICBs with the highest spending per person on the list are also in the top 20 areas with the highest demand for medication per person.

"This suggests that areas that invest the most in prescriptions often have to do so because of the higher prescription volumes or due to the higher cost of the medicines they are investing in, potentially indicating a greater prevalence of chronic conditions or more comprehensive healthcare coverage in these regions."

On average, prescriptions in Herefordshire and Worcestershire cost £14.29 per item, significantly higher than the national average of £8.66 per item, suggesting the healthcare coverage in the region is more comprehensive than elsewhere.

A spokesperson for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire said: "NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire are committed to ensuring that all prescribing within our system is as cost-effective as possible whilst ensuring that our patients receive appropriate treatments in line with national and local evidence-based guidance.'”

Across the country, over £10 billion was spent on 1.2 billion prescriptions by the 42 ICBs.

Mr Bater added: "The figures reflect the NHS's commitment to ensuring access to necessary medications for communities, supporting public health and its people, and providing an enhanced level of well-being for individuals throughout England.”