§ Mr. Bessellasked the Minister of Health what was the cost of drugs prescribed for the treatment of depression in 1966; and how this compares with 1964 and 1965.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonIt is not possible to relate the cost of drugs precisely to the treatment for which they are prescribed, but the ingredient cost of anti-depressive drugs as analysed in the Ministry's statistics and dispensed by chemists in 1964, 1965 and 1966 was £2.37 million, £2.78 million and £3.13 million respectively. Other drugs, particularly stimulants, may also be used for the treatment of depression.
§ Mr. Alasdair Mackenzieasked the Minister of Health what information he has concerning the effect of simultaneous administration of tryptophan when monoamine oxidase inhibitors are prescribed for the treatment of depression.
§ Mr. SnowOur information is based on an article inThe Lancet for 12th January, 1963, reporting the results of a controlled trial in which tryptophan was shown to potentiate the effect of a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor in the treatment of depressive illness. There was subsequent correspondence on the subject in the same journal.