§ Mr. AlexanderTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 2 February,Official Report, column 152, if she will name the pharmaceutical companies on whose behalf assurances were sought that the limited list regulations would not be extended; and on what dates the inquirers were informed by her Department that at that time there were no plans to extend the selected list scheme.
§ Dr. MawhinneySuch detailed information about correspondence between the Department and individual pharmaceutical companies is treated in confidence.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to make a statement on the precise arrangements for the inclusion of a further 10 therapeutic categories of drugs which may now be included on the selected list.
§ Dr. MawhinneyWe shall make an announcement after we have received advice from the advisory committee on national health service drugs.
§ Mrs. LaitTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drugs are on the market in each of the 10 categories proposed for addition to the limited list.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe information available relates to the number of different preparations dispensed in 1991 under the national health service in England in each of the categories. The following figures are for items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and personal administration.
Number Antidiarrhoeal drugs 43 Antihistamines, hyposensitisation, and allergic disorders 156 Hypnotics and anxiolytics 156 Appetite suppressants 12 Treatment of vaginal and vulval conditions 52 Contraceptives 60 Anaemias and some other blood disorders 146 Drugs for the relief of soft-tissue inflammation 112 Drugs acting on the ear and drugs acting on the nose 130 Skin 1,776