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
|
1989–90 | 1,942 | 414 | 2,356 |
1990–91 | 2,080 | 460 | 2,540 |
1991–92 | 2,317 | 591 | 2,908 |
1992–93 | 2,641 | 643 | 3,284 |
1993–94 | 2,951 | 710 | 3,661 |
1994–95 | 3,230 | — | — |
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.