§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 21 April,Official Report, column 309 (1) what is her latest estimate of the total amount of prescription units of the drug temazepam produced and imported into the United Kingdom in the 1994 calendar year; what is the latest estimate of the total amount of prescription units of the drug temazepam required to meet known legitimate use; and if she will make a statement; [22070]
(2) what is her latest estimate of the amount of temazepam required for prescription under the national health service, in kilograms and prescription units, in the 1994 calendar year; and if she will make a statement. [22044]
§ Mr. Bowis[holding answer 1 May 1995]: Information on the amount of temazepam manufactured and imported in 1994 is not yet available. Information on total quantities dispensed in family health services authorities in England in 1994 is shown in the table.
173W
Temazepam dispensed in the family health services authorities in England 1994 (provisional figures) Thousands Prescription items Kilograms Tablets 3,392 1,595.6 Capsules 2,837 1,577.3 Oral preparations 116 58.3 Total 6,345 3,231.2 Note:
The data are from the prescription cost analysis system and include all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.
Table A: Summary of annual returns for temazepam from Schedule 4 authority holders in the UK for the period 1989 to 1993 (kilograms) Percentage change from previous year Year Quantity manufactured Manufacturers stocks at 31 December Total imports Total exports Quantity manufactured Imports 1989 2,238.00 2,284.311 3,672.010 752.955 — — 1990 2,912.70 2,226.262 2,787.380 170.598 30.15 -24.09 1991 2,918.00 3,005.970 3,442.124 712.890 0.18 23.49 1992 3,271.90 3,978.215 4,486.190 1,018.726 12.13 30.33 1993 970.20 923.039 4,505.314 1,815.770 -70.35 0.43
Table B: Temazepam dispensed in the family health services authorities in England for the period 1989 to 1994 Percentage change from previous year Year Prescriptions1 (000s) Kilograms of temazepam Prescription items Kilograms of temazepam 1989 25,946 3,347 — — 1990 25,985 3,297 0.7 -1.5 1991 36,427 3,449 — — 1992 36,914 3,625 7.6 5.1 1993 36,651 3,434 -3.8 -5.2 1994 (provisional) 36,345 3,231 -4.6 -5.9 Source:
The data are from prescription cost analysis system.
Notes:
1 The data up to 1990 are not consistent with data from 1991 onward, so it is not possible to give meaningful figure for percentage changes between 1990 and 1994. Figures for 1989 and 1990 are based on fees and on a sample of one in 200 prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. Figures for 1991 to 1994 are based on items and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.
2 Fees.
3 Items.