Prescriptions

Mr. Austin Mitchell
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what proportion of the total number of prescriptions the cost of the drug or medication prescribed is less than £1.

Sir George Young
In terms of the net ingredient cost per prescription the proportion is estimated to be about 30 per cent. The total cost of a prescription is of course much higher when the chemists' fees and allowances are added.

Mr. Austin Mitchell
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what quantities of drugs and other medication were prescribed in the periods immediately  before and immediately after each of the last two increases in prescription charges.

Sir George Young
There is no common unit of measurement of quantities per prescription, but I give below figures for the number of prescription items dispensed for the two periods requested. The increases operated from 1 April 1971 and 16 July 1979 respectively.----------
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|January |
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|February|
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|March   |
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|April   |
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|May     |
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|June    |
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|April    |
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|May      |
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|June     |
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|July     |
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|August   |
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|September|
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|October  |
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