Table 1 Numbers and class of drugs dispensed to adults in 1995 and 2010

Dispensed 0 drugs

148,828 (49.4)

128,155 (41.1)

42.8

0.87 (0.86–0.87)

Dispensed 1–4 drugs

117,829 (39.1)

114,540 (36.7)

36.4

0.93 (0.92–0.94)

Dispensed 5–9 drugs

29,311 (9.7)

50,972 (16.3)

15.3

1.57 (1.55–1.60)

Dispensed 10–14 drugs

4,481 (1.5)

14,662 (4.7)

4.4

2.92 (2.83–3.02)

Dispensed ≥15 drugs

570 (0.2)

3,552 (1.1)

1.1

5.58 (5.11–6.10)

Dispensed any drug from BNF chapter

1 (gastrointestinal)

37,813 (12.6)

56,536 (18.1)

17.1

1.36 (1.35–1.38)

2 (cardiovascular)

50,593 (16.8)

85,140 (27.3)

25.2

1.49 (1.48–1.51)

3 (respiratory)

18,368 (6.1)

24,760 (7.9)

7.7

1.26 (1.24–1.28)

4 (central nervous system)

55,920 (18.6)

81,902 (26.3)

25.4

1.37 (1.36–1.38)

5 (infections)

48,610 (16.1)

46,934 (15.0)

14.8

0.92 (0.90–0.93)

6 (endocrine)

26,469 (8.8)

44,695 (14.3)

13.5

1.53 (1.51–1.55)

7 (O&G, and urinary tract)

11,695 (3.9)

23,126 (7.4)

7.4

1.91 (1.87–1.95)

8 (malignancy, immunosuppression)

1,686 (0.6)

3,062 (1.0)

0.9

1.64 (1.54–1.74)

9 (nutrition and blood)

8,634 (2.9)

15,217 (4.9)

4.7

1.62 (1.58–1.67)

10 (musculoskeletal)

26,166 (8.7)

26,185 (8.4)

8.0

0.92 (0.91–0.94)

11 (eye)

8,166 (2.7)

11,726 (3.8)

3.5

1.30 (1.27–1.34)

12 (ear, nose, and throat)

8,633 (2.9)

12,459 (4.0)

3.8

1.34 (1.30–1.37)

13 (skin)

23,345 (7.8)

31,644 (10.1)

9.9

1.28 (1.26–1.30)

Number of BNF chapters dispensed drugs from

0

148,828 (49.4)

128,155 (41.1)

42.8

0.87 (0.86–0.87)

1

65,584 (21.8)

64,625 (20.7)

20.7

0.95 (0.94–0.96)

2

40,561 (13.5)

45,439 (14.6)

14.2

1.05 (1.04–1.07)

3

22,548 (7.5)

30,129 (9.7)

9.2

1.23 (1.21–1.25)

4

12,581 (4.2)

19,646 (6.3)

5.9

1.42 (1.39–1.45)

5+

10,917 (3.6)

23,887 (7.7)

7.1

1.97 (1.92–2.01)