HC Deb 16 February 1988 vol 127 c555W
Mr. Galbraith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give for each of the last five available years the cost to the National Health Service of general practitioners' prescribing of(a) brand name drugs and (b) generic drugs.

Mr. Newton

The estimated net ingredient cost of drugs prescribed by general practitioners in the National Health Service in England for the last five calendar years is set out in the table:

£ million
Calendar year Drugs prescribed Generically Drugs prescribed by brand name
1982 48.5 811.8
1983 53.3 916.4
1984 56.6 978.7
1985 88.2 955.8
1986 103.3 1,021.5

Not included in this table are those drugs prescribed generically but dispensed by brand name, that is, where a generic equivalent is not available.