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Mrs. Renée Short
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the average number of prescriptions per patient a year within the National Health Service in each year since 1979.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke
The following is the information available:
| Year | Number of items dispensed per head* |
| 1979 | 6·6 |
| 1980 | 6·6 |
| 1981 | 6·5 |
| 1982 | 6·8 |
| 1983 | 6·8 |
| * The number of NHS prescribed items dispensed by retail pharmaciats, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and for personal administration by prescribing doctors in the calendar year divided by the number of patients registered on NHS general practitioner lists as at 30 September in that year. | |