§ Mr. Mike Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the cheapest drug tariff part VA price for each of the following drugs and for the most expensive branded form of the drug currently generally available to National Health Service prescribers: methyldopa, frusemide, nitrazepam, ampicillin, diazepam, imipramine, amitriptyline, indomethacin and propranolol; and, for the most recent year for which figures are available, what was the difference between the total cost of these drugs to the National Health Service and the cost of the same drugs at the lowest price.
§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg[pursuant to his reply, 21 February 1983, c. 364]: The following comparisons are given of the most commonly prescribed strength at current prices:
Drug tariff Strength Pack size Drug Price Branded price mg £ £ 250 1,000 Methyldopa 22.50 49.50 40 500 Frusemide 4.00 26.91 5 500 Nitrazepam 5.50 10.45 250 250 Ampicillin 8.50 21.33 5 1,000 Diazepam 2.50 14.16
Retail prices (pence) January 1951 January 1961 January 1970 January 1980 January 1983 Actual prices Pint of milk 2.1 (5d.) 3.3 (8d.) 4.6 (11d.) 15.0 21.0 Pint of draught bitter beer 6.5 (1s. 3½d.) 6.0 (1s. 2½d.) 10.6 (2s. 1½d.) 37.5 *56.5 Prices expressed "in real (January 1983) terms" on the basis of changes in the RPI Milk 20.0 21.8 21.1 19.9 21.0 Beer 62.0 39.5 49.0 49.8 56.5 * Provisional.