HC Deb 08 March 1989 vol 148 cc587-8W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the number of(a) prescription certificates issued by general practitioners and (b) prescription certificates prescribed to pharmacists, in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Mellor

Information about the number of prescriptions written by general practitioners is not available. The number of prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors in England in each of the last 10 years was as follows:

Millions
1978 307.1
1979 304.6
1980 303.3
1981 300.0

Millions
1982 311.3
1983 315.3
1984 320.5
1985 318.7
1986 322.5
1987 335.3