HC Deb 04 May 1988 vol 132 c498W
Sir Peter Hordern

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the amount of Methadone (Hydrochloride) prescribed in the National Health Service each year since 1975 to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Newton

The number of prescriptions and the volumes of Methadone dispensed by community pharmacists in England in each of the years 1975 to 1986 inclusive is as follows:

Methadone (thousands) England
Quantities prescribed
Year Number of Prescriptions Tablets Mixture1 (ml) Linctus2 (ml) Injection (ampules)
1975 135.4 1,634.7 9,542.3 7,529.0 2,004.4
1976 85.7 1,570.3 2,200.5 6,313.9 612.2
1977 114.6 1,380.8 6,978.0 5,991.1 1,472.5
1978 95.4 1,478.6 5,072.5 6,227.2 620.3
1979 90.3 833.4 7,511.5 4,012.1 862.9
1980 93.6 1,249.2 5,896.4 5,945.1 793.1
1981 78.6 1,321.6 11,826.5 4,459.9 1,124.9
1982 95.1 1,016.4 7,689.9 9,037.4 650.0
1983 105.9 1,443.0 10,064.9 6,713.0 502.6
1984 101.9 1,217.9 11,716.3 6,775.2 588.7
1985 128.6 1,048.6 17,329.8 5,538.4 399.1
1986 184.9 1,740.0 26,738.9 4,863.4 1,175.3

Note:

These estimates are based on a sample of approximately 1 in 200 prescriptions dispensed in England by chemists and appliance contractors. Information on drugs dispensed in hospitals and by Dispensing doctors is not available.

1 The mixture is 1mg/ml.

1 The linctus is 2mg/5ml.