Vitamin D: deficiency, appropriate prescribing, and savings for the National Health Service

The use of solid formulations alongside oral solutions for vitamin D supplementation could generate savings of €52.2 million for the National Health Service over a three-year period.

This is according to a budget impact analysis (BIA) that estimated the economic impact of a possible reshaping of market shares among the various pharmaceutical forms of vitamin D currently available, based on vitamin D consumption recorded in February 2023. The analysis was presented in Rome during the event ‘Vitamin D: Strategies impacting regional budgets and potential savings’, conceived and organized by Cencora–Pharmalex with the unconditional contribution of IBSA Italy.

Vitamin D deficiency remains one of the most widespread and underestimated public health issues worldwide. It is essential not only for musculoskeletal well-being but also for regulating the immune response, prenatal development, brain and cardiovascular function, and the prevention of chronic and oncological diseases. Hypovitaminosis D is a persistent problem, especially in the most vulnerable populations, including the elderly, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with dark skin, those with severe motor deficits, and those suffering from obesity.

Normally, the human body obtains 90% of its vitamin D naturally from exposure to solar UVB rays, while the remaining amount comes from foods such as fatty fish, milk and dairy products, eggs, and mushrooms.

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