NHS spent £440m last year on painkillers in England

According to latest figures, the NHS spent more than £440m last year on painkillers in England.
The study shows that doctors prescribe spent thousands of pounds prescribing painkillers and flu medication like Anadin and Lemsip. Comparitively, health trusts in England spent £8.80 per person on average on painkillers.
Research firm, SSentif has used the data from the NHS Information Centre and the Office for National Statistics and found some large differences between the average amount spent on painkillers.
Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Rochdale and Blackpool were found to be the largest spenders with big painkiller prescription bills. Primary care trusts (PCTs) had an average of £2.3m per person on painkillers.
The amount is almost double than Richmond and Twickenham, Camden and Westminster. In England over £3,000 was spent on prescriptions for cold and flu medicines and more than £59,000 was spent on over-the-counter painkillers like Anadin and Panadol.
Judy Aldred, managing director of SSentif said, "At the moment, the responsibility for the prescribing budget lies with primary care trusts but this is about to change. PCTs are phasing out and GPs are being given greater responsibility, including the management of their own prescribing budgets."