Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many private prescriptions for (a) benzodiazepines, (b) z drugs and (c) antidepressants were issued in 2013; and whether such private prescriptions are included in the analysis by the NHS of prescription costs.

Information is held by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on the numbers of original private prescriptions for controlled drugs that are listed in Schedules 2 or 3 to the Misuse of Drug Regulations 2001 (as amended) (“the 2001 Regulations”) and dispensed in the community in England by NHS community pharmacies. These pharmacies submit regular returns to the NHSBSA for monitoring purposes only with no cost information collected.

No benzodiazepine drugs are listed in Schedule 2 to the 2001 Regulations. The benzodiazepines, flunitrazepam, midazolam and temazepam are listed in Schedule 3 to the 2001 Regulations. In 2013, the NHSBSA recorded 3,021 private prescriptions for these drugs, as defined within the British National Formulary Section 4.1.1 Hypnotics, Section 4.8.2 Drugs used in status epilepticus and Section 15.1.4 Sedative and analgesic peri-operative drugs. Other benzodiazepine drugs are listed in Schedule 4 to the 2001 Regulations. No “Z” drugs or antidepressants are listed in Schedules 2 or 3 to the 2001 Regulations.