§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of prescriptions for NHS drugs issued in each year since 1982; what is the total cost of the NHS drugs bill relative to the most recent available year's costs in each year since 1982.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe information is shown in the table.
362W
Family Health Service in England: numbers of prescribed items dispensed and drugs bill expenditure 1982–83 to 1991–92. Year Number of prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors millions Drugs bill expenditure as a percentage of drugs bill expenditure in 1991–921 1982–83 332.3 43.55 1983–84 336.9 48.77 1984–85 345.1 51.45 1985–86 341.2 55.03
Year Number of prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors millions Drugs bill expenditure as a percentage of drugs bill expenditure in 1991–921 1986–87 346.4 59.57 1987–88 361.9 66.29 1988–89 376.9 75.27 1989–90 385.5 83.82 1990–91 396.6 89.77 1991–92 415.2 100.00 1 1991–92 = 100 per cent.
§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people would be exempt from prescription charges if the same exemption limits were to apply as are used for free eye tests; and what estimate has been made of the financial consequences of such change.
§ Dr. MawhinneyIt is estimated that such a change might reduce the number of people entitled to free prescriptions to about 20 million and reduce the need for voted provision for the national health service by between £700 million and £800 million a year.