asked the Minister for Health the cost per head of the population for use of medicinal drugs; and the amount of money that might be saved by the introduction of a centralised purchasing arrangement.
Written Answers. - Medicinal Drugs.
551.
The average annual expenditure on drugs, per head of population, is about £32.75.
A significant proportion of this expenditure is in the private sector where the question of centralised purchasing does not arise. In the public sector — the general medical service and the hospital service — the savings which might be achieved would depend on the prices paid and the cost of distribution throughout the country.