asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update the information given on 13 January 1986, Official Report, c. 501–2, on prescription charges and the cost of Pharmaceuticals by giving figures for subsequent years up to the most recent available date.
[pursuant to his reply, 19 January 1987, c. 428]: The information requested, in respect of the family practitioner services in England, is set out in the table:
1985
| 19861
| Financial year1
| |||
Jul-Sept
| Oct-Dec
| Jan-Mar
| Apr-June
| 1985–86
| |
| Prescription dispensed (millions) | 82·09 | 87·94 | 85·26 | 86·06 | 341·41 |
| Presciptions exempt from charges (percentage)3 | 81·07 | 81·83 | 81·43 | 82·13 | 81·12 |
Costs:
| |||||
| (i) Payments by patients (excluding prepayment certificates) (£ million) | 30·68 | 31·34 | 31·35 | 33·48 | 115·67 |
| (ii) Payments from public funds (£ million) | 377·31 | 403·23 | 392·69 | 407·21 | 1,540·21 |
| (iii) Total costs (£ million) | 410·82 | 437·57 | 429·11 | 443·74 | 1,669·42 |
| (iv) Average gross cost per prescription (£) | 5·00 | 4·98 | 5·03 | 5·16 | 4·89 |
Pre-payment certificates
| |||||
Number
| |||||
| 4 monthly (thousands) | 54·54 | 56·62 | 64·40 | 55·57 | 222·69 |
| 12 monthly (thousands) | 72·98 | 78·09 | 142·90 | 74·80 | 365·60 |
Revenue
| |||||
| ( £ million) | 2·83 | 3·00 | 5·07 | 3·05 | 13·54 |
1 Figures are not yet available for the third quarter of 1986. | |||||
2 To allow for the time lag in payments, the statistical data has been adjusted to make it compatible with the annual financial information. | |||||
3 Derived from prescriptions dispensed by pharmacists, including pre-payment certificates. | |||||