HEALTH bosses expect their prescribing budget to be more than £700,000 in the red by end of March next year.

Bury and Rochdale Health Authority - responsible for buying health care on behalf of local residents - blamed the unexpected rise in unbranded drug costs for the overspend.

Prescribing costs between April and July this year rose by 8.3 per cent compared with the same period last year.

The number of prescriptions dispensed between that period also increased marginally but was lower than the national average.

Health officials said that the authority has a high prescribing rate for generic drugs and the unexpected rise in shortages and price increases was to blame for estimated £0.714 million overspend.

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