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Free prescriptions

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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY J.A. MARTIN OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 17th JUNE 2014

Question

Following the decision in February 2008 to provide free prescriptions to Islanders, would the Minister advise -

  1. how many prescriptions were issued the 5 years before that date by year;
  2. how many prescriptions have been issued since they became free by year up to the last full year's figures available?

Answer

The table below shows the number of prescribed items that were dispensed by year, from 2003 to 2013

 

Year

Number of Items prescribed

2003

1,111,262

2004

1,164,037

2005

1,219,363

2006

1,251,616

2007

1,324,335

2008

1,489,319

2009

1,590,227

2010

1,651,355

2011

1,707,644

2012

1,784,798

2013

1,846,713

In addition to the decision to provide free prescriptions from February 2008, changes were also made in late 2007 to expand the list of drugs available through the Health Insurance Fund, to include drugs previously only available from the hospital pharmacy. This increased the number of drugs prescribed as drugs which were previously provided by specialists at the hospital were able to be prescribed by GPs for repeat prescription.