§ Mr. Norman HoggTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those drugs which on an average doctor's prescription cost less than the prescription charge.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyA list setting out those preparations which had an average net ingredient cost per prescription of less than the prescription charge in 1988—the latest year for which figures are available—has been placed in the Library. The list shows preparations in an abbreviated form, but has an explanatory list of abbreviations attached. It is possible to produce a list containing the full names of preparations only at disproportionate cost.
The list contains 2,323 preparations—less than one third of the 7,124 different preparations dispensed by pharmacies and appliance contractors in that year. The net ingredient cost does not represent the full cost to the NHS of dispensing a prescription, this being made up, when prescriptions are dispensed by pharmacies, of the net ingredient cost, less discount, plus dispensing fees, on-cost and container allowance. Because of the extensive exemption arrangements, over 75 per cent. of prescriptions are dispensed free.