§ Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost in each of the past five years for which figures are available of the drugs prescribed by general practitioners working in the National Health Service and of the drugs prescribed in National Health Service hospitals.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe cost to the National Health Service of drugs supplied in England in each of the past five years for which figures are available was:326W
Supplied through the Family Practitioner Services* Supplied other than through the Family Practitioner Services† £ million £ million 1976–77 371.0 86.8 1977–78 474.7 107.6 1978–79 557.4 128.1 1979–80 640.4 155.7 1980–81 775.3 185.3 Notes: * Exclusive of fees and allowances paid to chemists and dispensing doctors. † The bulk of this relates to NHS hospitals, though separate figures for hospital prescribing are not available centrally.