English community Rx data for 2000

552 million prescription items were dispensed by community pharmaciesin England last year, up 4.2% over 1999, reports the Department of Health.

On average, 11 prescription items were supplied per head of population last year, from 10.6 in 1999, with 85% of all items supplied free to patients and 71% of all prescription items written generically. The net ingredient cost of all prescriptions dispensed was L5.58 billion ($8.07 million), up 5.5%, or 3.7% in real terms. The average net ingredient cost per prescription item was L10.12, up 1.3% on 1999, or down 0.4% in real terms.