Increase in Northern Ireland prescription items reaches 45.7 million in 2024/25
Date published:
New accredited official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in Business Services Organisation present General Pharmaceutical Services for Northern Ireland in the 2024/25 financial year.
Key findings
The latest figures reveal continued growth in pharmaceutical services across Northern Ireland, with several key trends emerging:
- The total number of prescription items dispensed in Northern Ireland reached a record 45.7 million in 2024/25, an increase of 0.7% compared to the previous year
- Community pharmacies accounted for 99.2% of all dispensing (45.3 million items), with appliance contractors (0.3 million) and dispensing doctors (0.1 million) making up the remainder
- Atorvastatin (which is typically used to treat high blood cholesterol) was the most commonly dispensed medication with nearly 1.8 million items, followed by Omeprazole (1.5 million) and Co-codamol (1.3 million)
- Significant regional variations exist, with Derry City and Strabane having the highest dispensing rate at 30.1 items per person, while Lisburn and Castlereagh had the lowest at 17.8 items per person
- Anti-depressants were dispensed to 398,448 people in Northern Ireland in 2024/25, over one fifth of the total population and an increase of 1.5% compared with 2023/24.
About the publication
The full report contains comprehensive information on community pharmacy services across Northern Ireland, including geographical distribution of services, dispensing volumes, expenditure data, and comparisons with other UK regions. It also provides detailed analysis of prescribing patterns based on geographical areas, British National Formulary chapters, and patient demographics.
Further Information
Read the full report: General Pharmaceutical Services for Northern Ireland: Annual Statistics 2024/25
See more information and data tables: General Pharmaceutical Services and Prescribing Statistics