§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the current cost to the NHS of prescription of drug treatments for cancer, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and depression [HL521]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Health (Baroness Jay of Paddington)The available information is shown in the table. The information does not include drugs prescribed and dispensed in hospitals, so does not represent the total cost of prescribing these drugs. It is not possible to identify the indication for which medicines are prescribed, so some medicines included in the cost data may have been used to treat other conditions. The information is for the year 1996.
The net ingredient cost of prescription items dispensed for the treatment of cancer, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and depression, 1996 England £ thousands Cancer1 76,473.10 Schizophrenia2 28,462.60 Alzheimer's disease3 — Depression4 191,242.80 Notes:
1. Drugs used for the treatment of cancer are those described in the British National Formulary section 8.1, "Cytotoxic drugs", 8.2.4. "Interferons", 8.2.5 "aldesleukin" and 8.3 "Sex hormones and hormone antagonists in malignant disease". Other drugs will also be used to treat cancer patients. It is not possible to separate these for those used for the treatment of cancer only.
(2) Drugs used for the treatment of schizophrenia are those indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia in British National Formulary section 4.2, "Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders". Some of these drugs may be used for other conditions.
(3) Drugs used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are those described in the British National Formulary section 4.11, "Drugs for dementia". None of the drugs was dispensed in England in 1996. The net ingredient cost of drugs used in Alzheimer's disease between April 1997 and September 1997 was £346.4 thousand.
(4) Drugs used for the treatment of depression are those described in the British National Formulary section 4.3, "Antidepressant drugs".
(5) The date cover all prescriptions dispensed by the community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.
(6) The net ingredient cost refers to the cost of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees.
(7) The therapeutic classifications are based on British National Formulary, Number 30 (September 1995) except for the classification in note 3, which is based on British National Formulary Number 32 (September 1996).