§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the improvements in productivity of pharmacists in each of the last 10 years, together with the change in NHS payments to pharmacists for each of those years. [29577]
§ Mr. Malone[holding answer 20 May 1996]: The table shows that amount of national health service payments to pharmacists in cash terms for the years 1985–86 to 1994–95. There is no overall measure of pharmacists' productivity. The number of prescriptions dispensed over the period is shown as one indicator of their NHS activity.
Pharmacists' NHS payments amount paid1 Prescriptions dispensed Year £ millions Year on year percentage change Millions Year on year percentage change 1985–86 1,240.6 — 337.4 — 1986–87 1,401.8 13.0 350.8 4.0 1987–88 1,583.2 12.9 367.4 4.7 1988–89 1,743.5 10.1 370.3 0.8 1989–90 1,911.6 9.6 384.3 3.8 1990–91 2,068.8 8.2 391.5 1.9 1991–92 2,345.3 13.4 412.8 5.4 1992–93 2,634.1 12.3 429.4 4.0 1993–94 2,903.8 10.2 447.3 4.2 1994–95 3,148.9 8.4 462.2 3.3 1 Amount includes net ingredient costs of drugs (i.e., excluding discount and including container allowance) and pharmacists' remuneration. Adjusted to account for payback and clawback of under/overpayment of pharmacists' remuneration in previous years.