Health · Healthcare & Policy · 15 mins ago
NHS Western Isles prescribes weight-loss drugs at triple the rate of other boards
NHS Western Isles prescribed weight-loss drugs at triple the rate of other health boards in Scotland, according to a study.
The study also examined medicines for cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke and affects around 800,000 people in Scotland.
For certain accepted medicines that lower LDL cholesterol, prescribing rates varied eight to tenfold between Highland, the highest-prescribing board, and Forth Valley, the lowest.
The study's authors said boards with closer links between specialists and GPs generally had higher prescribing rates.
Differences in patient need did not fully explain the variation, raising questions about whether patients can access medicines equally across Scotland.
The ABPI made seven recommendations, including better planning, co-operation and transparency about local medicine decisions and how quickly accepted medicines are introduced.
A report found substantial differences in prescribing rates for medicines accepted for NHS use across Scottish health boards.
The Daily Mail reported that prescribing in the Western Isles was ten times higher than in Shetland, while the BBC headline described Western Isles rates as triple those of other boards.
The report said differences in patient need did not fully explain the variation.
It said most NHS prescriptions for the medicines studied were for type 2 diabetes, and NHS use for weight loss remained more limited.
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry recommended better co-ordination and planning across NHS Scotland.
- Who
- The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) analysed the prescribing data.
- What
- A report found substantial variation in prescribing of medicines accepted for NHS use across Scottish health boards.
- When
- The articles were published on 28 and 29 October 2026. The report’s release date is not stated.
- Where
- NHS boards across Scotland, including the Western Isles and Shetland.
- Why
- The report examined how widely medicines were prescribed after approval for NHS use. It said differences in patient need did not fully explain the variation.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The BBC published its report on differences in prescribing rates across Scottish health boards.
The Daily Mail published its report on variation in prescribing rates, including the difference between the Western Isles and Shetland.
- Highest prescribing in the comparison
- Western Isles
- Lowest prescribing in the comparison
- Shetland
- Difference reported by the Daily Mail
- Western Isles prescribing was ten times higher than in Shetland
- Report author
- Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)
- ABPI recommendations
- Seven priority areas for action
2 sources
What people are saying
Scotland has a strong and respected system for assessing new medicines.
But this report shows that the use of some accepted medicines can vary widely between NHS boards, and that differences in patient need do not fully explain this.
When avoidable barriers slow things down, patients can wait longer than they should for medicines already judged effective and good value.