Medications to help treat diabetes are costing the NHS too much, say researchers.

Diabetes drugs now account for 7 per cent of the UK prescribing budget but the rise in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is not enough to explain the financial increase.

Researchers at Cardiff University say the NHS must control the budget now as rates of the condition are set to rise in the coming years.

Figures show that the NHS spent £700m on diabetic drugs in 2008 and the number of prescriptions had risen by 50 per cent between 2000 and 2008, specifically there was an increase from £290m to £591m over the period of the study.

Newer drugs such as rosiglitazone, and an increase in the use of insulin, has contributed to increased costs, say researchers. Health experts suggest the findings could be due to national guidelines not being followed.

Researchers also said drug companies were aggressively marketing expensive treatments but GPs should explore basic options first.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend lifestyle changes as the first-step in controlling type 2 diabetes, before commencing drug treatment.

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