Prescriptions cost $220M

Press, 21 July 1986, Page 4

Prescriptions cost $220M

PA Dunedin A form of penicillin, amoxycillin trihydrate, with 1.2 million prescriptions worth $10.3 million heads the list of drugs most often used in New Zealand during last year. Statistics given by the Clinical Services Division of the Health Department for the year ended March

31, 1985, show that 28.85 million prescriptions were issued by doctors and dentists, worth a total of $220.4 million — about $3 million more than in 1984.

Amoxycillin trihydrate is an antibiotic prescribed for people of all ages and used to counter a number of diseases including bacterial infection, pneumonia, and infectious

wounds. Second in a list of 30 of the most often prescribed drugs is salbutamol sulphate for oral inhalation, used in the treatment of asthma with 582,900 prescriptions issued worth a

total of $7.9 million. Third, with 383,500 prescriptions valued at $7.04 million, is metoprolol tartrate used in treat-

ing hypertension. Fourth on the list with 314,800 prescriptions issued worth $7.02 million are oral contraceptives. The order for the top four drugs is the same as it was in 1984.

Drugs used in the treatment of asthma and hypertension account for the rest of the top 10. A breakdown of the average prescription cost in 1985 shows that 58.8

per cent went to the manufacturer, 27.5 per cent to the pharmacist, 11.8 per cent to the wholesaler with about 2 per cent spent on containers.