DIABETES drugs cost the NHS in Scotland almost £90 million last year amid fears that public health advice on the dangers of the disease and how to prevent it are not getting through.

A record 3.6 million prescriptions for diabetes medication were issued by the health service in Scotland during the 2015/16 financial year, at a cost of £89 million.

The bill for diabetes drugs has ballooned by £10m year-on-year and the costs are spiralling.

While the number of prescriptions issued last year compared to two years earlier, in 2013/14, is up by seven per cent, the cost of the drugs to the NHS has surged by 18 per cent over the same period, from £75.7m two years ago.

It means, over the past three years, the NHS has spent almost £250 million on drugs for the illness.

The Scottish Conservatives, who highlighted the figures from ISD Scotland statistics, said the figures should be a warning to the Scottish Government that diabetes is one of the greatest public health challenges facing the current generation.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Donald Cameron said: “These figures should serve as a warning to the Scottish Government about just how serious this situation is.

“Diabetes is becoming one of the foremost public health challenges, and the problem is getting worse.

“We know there are issues with alcohol consumption, bad diet and a lack of exercise, and all of these things can culminate in the diagnosis of diabetes.

“There is obviously a significant expense to the NHS, but that is nothing in comparison to the human cost.

“Clearly, there are a range of causes of diabetes, and not all of them are preventable.

“But by encouraging more personal responsibility in terms of diet and lifestyle, and putting more effort into education, these figures would soon come down.”

There are 276,000 people in Scotland currently living with diabetes, and 500,000 at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes - largely due to obesity.

The total cost of diabetes to Scotland's economy - including direct care and indirect costs - was estimated at £2.37 billion in 2015, but this is on track to hit £3.98bn in 20 years time.

The most effective way of preventing Type 2 diabetes is maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, being more active, but on current trends experts predict that 40 per cent of Scottish adults will be obese by 2030 with around half a million projected to be living with diabetes by 2035.

Kirsteen Murray, National Director of Diabetes Scotland, said: “Around 80 per cent of NHS Scotland’s almost £1 billion annual spend on diabetes is on treating complications such as stroke, cardiovascular disease and lower limb amputation.

"Yet, up to 80 per cent of these complications are potentially avoidable through good management."

The charity compiles an annual 'State of the Nation' report outlining how well the NHS in Scotland is delivering diabetes care and how the various different health boards compare. The next report is due for publication in September.

Minister for Public Health Aileen Campbell said: “If poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to serious health complications which is why it is a priority for this government.

"Our Diabetes Improvement Plan sets out how the care for people living with diabetes can be improved, through early diagnosis, early detection and prevention of complications.

“For example, we are working to prevent more patients developing diabetes and to treat those who are managing it every day, and have spent £7.5 million to date implementing our insulin pump commitment.”