§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of drug substances available on the British market; and what is the minimum and maximum number that are on hospital formularies.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that the information is not available in the form requested. Medicines may contain single active substances or combinations and each strength of each dosage form is licensed individually. Not all licensed products will necessarily be available on the market at any point in time. As to the maximum and minimum number that are on hospital formularies, I regret that this information is not collected centrally.