§ Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the average cost to her Department of providing a diabetes sufferer with a lifetime of free prescriptions; [31407]
(2) what is the total annual cost to her Department of providing free prescriptions to sufferers of diabetes; [31405]
(3) what is the average cost to her Department of prescriptions to diabetics per annum, per patient. [31404]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe available information is shown in the table.
Drugs used in the treatment of diabetes, 1994 (provisional) England Ingredient cost/item Net ingredient cost £97.3 million Prescription items 9.4 million Average net ingredient cost per prescription item £10.33 Notes:
1. Drugs as defined by the British National Formulary section 6.1
2. The information was obtained from the Prescription Cost Analysis system which is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England.
3. The net ingredient cost refers to the cost of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees.
§ Mr. JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diabetics there are in Britain. [31406]
§ Mr. SackvilleAn estimated 1.2 per cent. of the British population have clinically diagnosed diabetes.