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Nhs Drugs

Volume 264: debated on Monday 23 October 1995

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To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the total costs of NHS drugs used in each of the past six years; and what is his latest calculation of the number killed by their use. [38642]

The cost of national health service drugs in England, in each of the past six years is shown in the table. The cost of drugs used by hospital and community services in 1994–95 is not yet available. In 1992, the latest year for which information is available, in England and Wales the number of deaths due to drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use was 141. It is not possible to identify the adverse effects of prescribed drugs only.

£ million

Total NHS spending on drugs (England)

Year

FHS drugs

HCHC drugs

Total

1989–901,9424142,356
1990–912,0804602,540
1991–922,3175912,908
1992–932,6416433,284
1993–942,9517103,661
1994–953,230

Notes:

FHC = Family Health Services.

HCHS = Hospital and Community Health Services.

Source:

1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision. Data for 1993 and 1994 are being checked and should be available in 1996.