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Dept of Health

Answer

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged (a) up to five, (b) five to 10 and (c) 10 to 14 years are currently being treated with ritalin within (a) North East Bedfordshire, (b) Bedford Primary Care Trust area and (c) Bedfordshire Heartlands Primary Care Trust; what percentage of children within each cohort these figures represent; and if he will make a statement. [195766] Dr. Ladyman: Information is not available in the form requested. The Department does not hold data on the number of people who receive a particular medication. However, the figures in the table show the total number of prescription items of methylphenidate hydrochloride dispensed in the community for a 12 month period up to June 2004. Ritalin is one brand of the drug methylphenidate. Total items dispensed _________________________________________________________________________________________________. (Thousand) England 263.7 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority 8.5 Bedford Primary Care Trust (PCT) 0.6 Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT 1.9 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Source: Prescription cost analysis data from the Prescription Pricing Authority. In 2003, it is estimated that around 90 per cent., of all prescription items of methylphenidate were dispensed in the community to children.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

195766; 426 c397-8W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Children Bedfordshire Prescriptions Methylphenidate Antidepressants

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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