§ Mr. MillerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many prescriptions were issued in 1993 and 1994 for each of the top 100 items; [28908]
(2) if she will publish the list of the top 100 prescription items as sent to the Chester and Ellesmere Port community health council and the provisional 1994 data in the same form. [28909]
§ Mr. MaloneInformation on dispensing volumes and costs for individual preparations is not made public for reasons of commercial confidentiality. Data are shared within the national health service and with clinical and scientific researchers on the understanding that they will not put information into the public domain which breaches the confidentiality guidelines in anyway.
§ Mr. MillerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the increase in the total net ingredient cost for the top 100 prescription items; and if she will make a statement. [28910]
§ Mr. MaloneThe total net ingredient cost of the 100 prescriptions with the largest number of prescription items in 1993 was £909 million, and of the 100 preparations with the largest numbers of items in 1994, based on provisional figures, was £941 million. The preparations which comprise the top 100 vary from year to year.