The number of HRT drugs prescribed in England increased by 21.5 per cent between 2022-23 and 2023-24, according to the latest data from NHS Business Services Authority.

NHSBSA said 13.3 million items were prescribed this year compared with 10.9 million in 2022-23. It published the data last week ahead of World Menopause Day.

In 2023-24, about 2.63 million patients were prescribed at least one HRT drug item, a 12.4 per cent increase on the 2.34 million patients in the previous year.

The NHSBSA also said 3.59 million HRT drug items were prescribed between April and June 2024, a 17.8 per cent rise on the 3.04 million items prescribed during the same time period in 2022-23.

Utrogestan 100mg tablets was the BNF presentation with the largest number of items prescribed and highest number of patients prescribed them in 2023-24 when 1.3 million items were prescribed, an increase on the 940,000 items in 2022-23.

People aged 50 to 54 were the largest group prescribed HRT drugs, accounting for 640,000 patients, nearly a quarter of all identified patients in 2023-34.

North-East London integrated care board had the lowest number of patients who received at least one HRT item per 1,000 residents, with 19 patients per 1,000 population in 2023-24.

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB had the highest number of patients with 68 patients per 1,000 population during that period. Across England in 2023-24, 46 patients per 1,000 received at least one HRT item.

About 740,000 patients were prescribed HRT items in the least deprived parts of the country compare with 325,000 patients in the most deprived areas. NHSBSA said that since 2015-16, more people have been prescribed HRT in less deprived areas.

There was also an increase in the number of items that are exempt from prescription charges at the point of dispensing, going from 70 per cent in 2022-23 to 85.7 per cent in 2023-24. The proportion of HRT items for which there was a prescription prepayment certificate was 14.5 per cent