HC Deb 30 June 1980 vol 987 cc442-3W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give the respective prices charged for 100 tablets of Imipramine 25 mg and 100 tablets of Tofranil 25 mg; if he will explain the medical use of such preparations, noting any difference in their efficacy; and if he will make a statement.

(2) if he will give the respective prices charged for 100 tablets of Methyldopa 250 mg and 100 tablets of Aldomet 250 mg; if he will explain the medical use of such preparations, noting any difference in their efficacy; and if he will make a statement;

(3) if he will give the respective prices charged for 100 tablets of Nitrazepam 5 mg and 100 tablets of Mogadon 5 mg;

Preparation Basic Price Per 100 Tablets Ex Pack Size
1. Tablets Imipramine 25 mg 37p 500
Tablets Tofranil 25 mg 304p 1,000
335p 100
2. Tablets Methydopa 250 mg 274p 1,000
Tablets Aldomet 250 mg 450p 500
460p 100
3. Tablets Nitrazepan 5mg 110p 500
Tablets Mogadon 5 mg 187p 500
233p 100

Preparations in (1) are anti-depressants and are used to treat depressive conditions; preparations in (2) are hypotensives to reduce raised blood pressure; preparations in (3) are hypnotics and are used primarily as sleeping tablets.

The effect of the preparations may vary and my professional advice is that it may not be desirable in every situation to substitute one preparation for another. Alternative versions of preparations are not necessarily therapeutically equivalent and cannot automatically be regarded as substitutes. The Department regularly makes available to doctors information about the comparative cost of alternative versions of different preparations, and

Hospital Type Expenditure £000 Cost per in-patient day £
St. Nicholas' Acute 2,893.4 43.0
Dreadnought Seamen's Acute 1,687.5 46.4
Eltham and Mottingham Acute 413.1 25.6
Queen Mary's Acute 7,756.7 40.3
Erith and District Acute 558.5 47.4
Greenwich District Mainly acute 10,982.3 43.5
Brook General Mainly acute 9,076.8 54.0
Memorial Mainly long-stay 1,393.1 28.6
The Gables Geriatric 175.7 12.4
British Hospital for Mothers and Babies Maternity 1,035.4 58.6
Bexley Broomhills Mental illness 6,113.3 17.0
Goldie Leigh Mental handicap 1,031.8 30.1