§ Mrs. LaitTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drugs, normally prescribed and dispensed, cost less than £4.25; and what percentage of the total drugs bill this represents in numbers of drugs and in value.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe available information is shown in the table.
Individual preparations and prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors or personally administered by prescribing doctors in England in 1992 All items Items with a Net Ingredient Cost of less than £4.25 Percentage with a Net Ingredient Cost of less than 14.25 Number of individual1 preparations 16,678 5,595 34 Number of prescribed items (million) 425.1 241.7 57 Total Net Ingredient Cost (£ million) 2,858 427 15 1The information is provided on the basis of individual preparations and not the drug chemical name.
§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the total national health service drugs bill for each year since 1982–83, with an estimate for 1993–94.
§ Dr. MawhinneyI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Cambridge (Mrs. Campbell) on 22 March at column470, for information from 1982–83 to 1991–92.
The final outturn for 1992–93 is not yet available. The cost of drugs in the hospital and community health services—HCHS—is met from the total HCHS cash limited allocation and a separate estimate for 1993–94 is not available. Main estimate provision of £2,834 million has been made for the family health service drugs bill in the current year.