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Written question asked by Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 21 March 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 23 March 2012. It was answered by Simon Burns (Conservative) on Monday, 16 April 2012 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Ritalin

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 6 June 2005, Official Report, column 439W, on Ritalin, how many prescriptions of methylphenidate hydrochloride have been dispensed in England in each year since 2004; and whether the estimated proportion of such prescriptions dispensed to children remains around 90 per cent.
Answer

Information on prescriptions of methylphenidate hydrochloride (including Ritalin) dispensed in the community in England from 2004 to 2010, the latest available year, is shown in the table.

Number of prescription items dispensed
2004 359,068
2005 389,186
2006 456,909
2007 535,328
2008 573,397
2009 610,194
2010 661,463
Source:
Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system

The information in the answer of 6 June 2005, Official Report, column 439W, on the estimated proportion of such prescriptions dispensed to children, was derived from a sample of prescription forms used by the National Health Service Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to inform the Department of the frequency of claims for exemption from prescription charges in each exemption category.From December 2007, the NHSBSA changed its processes for pricing prescriptions and for capturing prescription charge exemption status and therefore cannot reliably estimate the proportion of prescriptions dispensed according to exemption categories relating to the age of the patient from this date.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
101943; 543 c136W
Session
2010-12
Subjects
Methylphenidate
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk