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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the cost to the NHS was for treatments prescribed for dyspepsia; and what percentage of this amount was spent on (a) proton pump inhibitors, (b) H2 receptor antagonists, (c) alginates and (d) antacids in each year since 1997; [102999] (2) what cost savings have been made to the NHS drugs bill for proton pump inhibitors since July 2000. [103001] Mr. Lammy: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its guidance on the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the treatment of dyspepsia in July 2000. The guidance made a number of recommendations intended to achieve the most clinically and cost-effectiveness use of PPIs. NICE estimated that its advice, if fully implemented, could lead to a reduction in the use of PPIs. Such a reduction has not yet occurred. We anticipate that the impetus to better target these treatments will increase when NICE publishes its clinical guideline on the primary management of dyspepsia, due later this year. Information on the net ingredient cost of all drugs used to treat dyspepsia that were dispensed in the community in England from 1997 is shown in the table. Net ingredient cost (£ million) of products for treatment of dyspepsia dispensed in the community in England _________________________________________________________________________________________________. BNF description 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 1.1.2 Alginates 20.2 21.1 21.5 21.5 21.5 Alginates as a percentage 4 5 5 5 5 of total dyspepsia drugs 1.1.1 Antacids 3.1 2.9 2.6 2.5 2.4 Antacids as a percentage of 1 1 1 1 1 total dyspepsia drugs 1.3.1 H2-receptor 169.8 139.2 124.2 83.8 53.5 antagonists H2-receptor antagonists as 36 31 26 19 12 a percentage of total dyspepsia drugs 1.3.5 Proton Pump 279.1 291.1 323.1 327.8 364.4 Inhibitors Proton Pump Inhibitors as a 59 64 69 75 82 percentage of total dyspepsia drugs Grand total 472.2 454.3 471.5 435.6 441.7 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Notes: 1. The therapeutic classifications are based on British National Formulary sections 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.3.1, and 1.3.5. 2. The data are based on prescription items dispensed in the community, ie by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. 3. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospital or private prescriptions. 4. The net ingredient cost (NIC) refers to the cost of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees. It does not include any adjustment for income obtained where a prescription charge is paid at the time the prescription is dispensed or where the patient has purchased a pre-payment certificate. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data from the Prescription Pricing Authority

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

402 c193-4W; 102999;103001

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Costs Diseases Drugs NHS Medical treatments Digestive system

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk